6 9 3 . ▁A ▁study ▁on ▁the ▁damage ▁and ▁fatal ities ▁caused ▁by ▁er u ptions ▁of ▁Et na ▁in ▁historical ▁times ▁reve als ▁that ▁only ▁ 7 7 ▁human ▁death s ▁are ▁att rib utable ▁with ▁certain ty ▁to ▁er u ptions ▁of ▁Et na , ▁most ▁recently ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁when ▁two ▁tour ists ▁were ▁killed ▁by ▁a ▁sudden ▁explos ion ▁near ▁the ▁sum mit . ▁ ▁Rec ent ▁er u ptions ▁ ▁A ▁large ▁la va ▁flow ▁from ▁an ▁er u ption ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁a ▁population ▁centre ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 6 6 9 ▁er u ption . ▁The ▁er u ption ▁started ▁high ▁on ▁Et na ' s ▁n ortheast ▁fl ank ▁on ▁ 2 ▁November . ▁Then ▁new ▁er upt ive ▁f iss ures ▁opened ▁at ▁decre asing ▁elev ations ▁down ▁the ▁fl ank ▁of ▁the ▁vol cano . ▁The ▁third ▁and ▁most ▁vig orous ▁of ▁these ▁f iss ures ▁opened ▁late ▁on ▁ 4 ▁November ▁at ▁an ▁unus ually ▁low ▁elev ation , ▁approximately ▁ ▁above ▁sea - level , ▁in ▁a ▁zone ▁known ▁as ▁R ipe ▁della ▁N aca . ▁The ▁village ▁of ▁Mas cal i , ▁lying ▁down - s lo pe ▁of ▁the ▁R ipe ▁della ▁N aca , ▁was ▁almost ▁completely ▁destroyed ▁in ▁two ▁days . ▁Only ▁a ▁church ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁surrounding ▁buildings ▁surv ived ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁village , ▁called ▁Sant