Watch: Italy's Stromboli volcano explodes; huge plumes of smoke shroud whole region

Italy's Stromboli volcano has exploded resulting in giant plumes of smoke covering the whole region. The explosion spewed an ash cloud and also pushed huge amounts of lava into the sea off the north coast of Sicily.

Although Stromboli has only 500 residents, it is popular for its lavish holiday homes is popular among tourists. The summit area, however, was already closed due to high volcanic activity during the past few weeks.

The explosion at Italy's Stromboli volcano started around 12:00 pm local time (03:30 pm IST).

A couple of smaller eruptions now and this metallic taste in our mouths. Waiting to see if we need to help with evacuations #Stromboli #volcano #strombolivolcano pic.twitter.com/XFo64ubp96

— Nicole Bremner (@NicoleBremner) August 28, 2019

Volcano Discovery has reported that "nothing very unusual could be detected in the minutes before (explosion)."

Visuals being shared by residents, tourists, as well as news platforms, show huge plumes of smoke rising in the sky. No injuries have been reported due to the explosion yet however damage to vegetation and nearby homes are expected.

The Stromboli volcano also erupted on July 3 earlier this year after which at least 70 people were evacuated and hundreds fled the island aboard ferries to the nearby Calabrian coast. After the explosion Vulcanologists and locals told Italian media that the volcano was unlikely to erupt again in the near future.

Sicilian hiker Massimo Imbesi, 35, was killed Wednesday when he was caught in the eruption's flow of hot rocks and fumes, while his Brazilian walking companion suffered from shock.

Stromboli, just 12 square kilometers (4.6 square miles) in the area and 924 meters (3,000 feet) high, is just the top of a volcano that is largely underwater. It is one of few in the world with almost continuous activity, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.