Italian firefighters reported that a 29-year-old tourist from the US was killed by a lightning strike on Sicily's Mount Etna while hiking in an area closed to visitors due to recent volcanic activity.
Incident Details
The man from Kansas was rescued by helicopter after being struck Sunday evening in an exposed area above the tree line. He was later pronounced dead by medical personnel. His name was not released.
Volcanic Activity and Closures
Authorities have closed vast areas of the volcano's slope to hikers due to prolonged volcanic activity, which also forced the closure of the airport in nearby Catania for most of the previous week.
Historical Context
Officials noted that more people have died on Etna from lightning strikes over recent decades than from volcanic activity. The last eruption-related fatalities on Europe's most active volcano were in 1987.
