An American tourist died after being struck by lightning while hiking on Mount Etna in Sicily. The 29-year-old man from Kansas was rescued by helicopter after the incident occurred on a barren and exposed part of the volcano on Sunday evening. Despite rescue efforts, he was later pronounced dead by medical professionals. His identity has not been made public.
The accident happened at an elevation of around 4,600 feet in the Rocca Capra area of the volcano. Italian authorities have temporarily closed certain sections of Mount Etna to hikers. This decision is due to ongoing intense volcanic activity that also led to the temporary shutdown of the nearby Catania airport last week. It is unclear if the tourist was in one of the restricted areas.
According to officials, lightning strikes have caused more fatalities on Mount Etna in recent decades than volcanic events. The most recent deaths directly related to eruptions occurred in 1987.
Leave a Reply