milanAP —
Italian fire authorities said Monday that an American tourist was killed by lightning while hiking Europe’s largest active volcano, Mount Etna in Sicily.
A 29-year-old man from Kansas was rescued by helicopter after being attacked in an exposed barren area on Sunday evening. He was later confirmed dead by medical personnel. His name has not been released.
The man was found at an altitude of approximately 1,400 meters (approximately 4,600 feet) in the Rocca Capra area.
It was unclear whether he was in an area where authorities have closed off parts of the volcano’s slopes to hikers due to prolonged activity, which forced the airport in nearby Catania to close for much of last week.
Officials say more people have died from lightning strikes at Mount Etna than from volcanic activity in recent decades. The last fatality from an eruption occurred in 1987.
A river of lava flows from a new vent on Italy’s Mount Etna
Dramatic drone footage captures lava flowing from Italy’s Mount Etna as volcanic activity roars as a new crater appears on Europe’s tallest volcano.
