Weather Hampers Efforts to Slow Mt. Etna Lava Flow

CATANIA, Sicily —  Bad weather hampered efforts Sunday to slow the lava flowing from Mt. Etna, Europe’s tallest and most-active volcano, and threatening to engulf a village of 7,000 people.

A task force including U.S. Marines and Italian soldiers planned controlled explosions to slow down the river of molten rock and divert it from the village of Zafferana.

But strong winds and fog on the Sicilian volcano grounded helicopters due to fly in men and material.

About 150 armored personnel carriers have been sent to Zafferana to help in any eventual evacuation. Experts hoped to resume work at first light today.

The 10,900-foot Etna has been in minor eruption since December. A dam built in January diverted the lava into a natural crater away from Zafferana, but the crater reached capacity several days ago.

Three isolated houses were evacuated as the lava crept to within 1,000 yards of Zafferana’s outskirts.

Big helicopters--like those used in the Gulf War--from the U.S. air base at Sigonella near Catania stood by waiting for the skies to clear.

Their task was to lower 15 concrete blocks, each weighing 2 tons, into the mouth of a tunnel created by the lava below the main crater. This, experts said, should divert the lava’s course.

Workers were also racing to reinforce the last barrier to the lava, a 30-foot-high wall of earth and rock only 80 yards from the village’s nearest houses.