An American tourist was killed by a lightning strike on Sicily’s Mount Etna while hiking in an area that was closed to visitors due to recent volcanic activity, Italian firefighters said Monday.
The 29-year-man from Kansas was rescued by helicopter after being struck Sunday evening in an exposed area above the tree line.
The Sun reported that the man was on the mountain in the off-limits area when a powerful thunderstorm broke on Sunday before the lightning strike.
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He was rushed to hospital after being found in cardiac arrest but was pronounced dead on arrival at 9.30pm. His name was not released.
Authorities have closed vast areas of the volcano’s slope to hikers due to the volcano’s prolonged activity — which forced the closure of the airport in nearby Catania for most of last week.
Lava flows and thick plumes of ash have been unleashed on Etna in recent weeks, with “explosive activity” from the summit reported on Monday as well.
CBS News reports that the hiker was one of two deaths from lightning strikes in Italy on Sunday. The second was a male Italian hiker who was also struck in the Alps in the province of South Tyrol.
Officials said 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.