An American tourist was killed by lightning on Mount Etna in Sicily while climbing Europe's largest active volcano. The incident occurred after a period of intensification of volcanic activity, Italian firefighters reported on Monday, the Associated Press agency reported.
A 29-year-old man from Kansas was struck by lightning in an open, uninhabited area on Sunday evening. He was evacuated by helicopter, but later the doctors registered his death. The name of the victim is not published.
The man was found at an altitude of about 1400 meters in the Rocca Capra region.
Authorities have closed parts of the volcano's slopes to tourists due to Etna's prolonged activity. That's what caused the closure of nearby Catania Airport for most of last week. At the same time, it is not yet known whether the victim was in the restricted area.
According to authorities, more people have been killed by lightning strikes on Etna in the past few decades than by direct volcanic activity. The last fatal incident related to the eruption of the volcano occurred in 1987.
