US hiker dies after lightning strike on Sicily’s Mount Etna
What’s new: He was hiking in a restricted area as storms hit the active volcano, which has also disrupted flights near Catania.
An American hiker died after a lightning strike on Mount Etna in Sicily, Italian firefighters said after rescuers found him Sunday evening during a thunderstorm. Authorities had not released his name. Reports identified him only as a US tourist in his 30s. He was located in an off-limits area sometimes used to get closer to the summit and was flown by helicopter to Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania, where he was declared dead on arrival. Etna, Europe’s tallest active volcano, has been spewing ash and lava in recent days, drawing visitors while also disrupting air traffic and prompting tighter access limits on exposed upper slopes.