A BBC reporter dodged "burning boulders and boiling steam" as she and a group of others fled a volcanic explosion in Italy that injured up to 10 people.

Mount Etna on the island of Sicily erupted on Thursday, causing magma to flow into snow that led to a violent explosion, which sent stones and rocks flying, emergency services said.

The explosion, which occurred near the summit of Etna, caught tourists, vulcanologists and members of a television crew filming for the BBC.

Dramatic footage shows the explosion of rocks raining down on the group as they sprint away from the blast. 

"Everyone just started to run, but you couldn't really see. It was almost a total white-out because of the steam in front of you," the BBC's global science correspondent Rebecca Morelle told the broadcaster.

In the footage, BBC camerawoman Rachel Price appears to trip in the snow, while screams can be heard as people flee the burning rocks.

"The vulcanologist [who] was with us said it was one of the most dangerous incidents that he'd seen in his 30-year career studying Etna, so we were lucky to get out. A narrow escape."

The TV crew and tourists reached a vehicle that took them safely down the mountain where the injured received treatment for minor injuries.

"Running down a mountain pelted by rocks, dodging burning boulders and boiling steam - not an experience I ever ever want to repeat," Morelle wrote on Twitter.

"BBC team all ok - some cuts/ bruises and burns. Very shaken though - it was extremely scary," she said.

Later, she posted an image of Price holding up a parka with a huge hole burnt in it. Morelle said the burn was caused by a "lump of rock".

Philippa Demonte, another vulcanologist, recalled her early days studying lava flows in Hawaii.

"Rule No.1 - no synthetic clothing," she wrote on Twitter.

Ms Demonte also appeared to question why no safety precautions were in place, writing: "Why were they that close and majority without hard hats?"

Italian officials said six people had to be taken to hospital, but none were in a serious condition.

Morelle said an "amazing 78-year-old lady was very close" but had got away safely. 

Etna is Europe's most active volcano. After a quiet couple of years, it burst into action in February with repeated eruptions that sent orange plumes of lava into the air.

Thursday's explosion was the result of a so-called phreatomagmatic eruption, caused by magma hitting water - in this case snow. 

Images of the eruption were also captured from space.

With Reuters, The New York Times