US tourist dies after being struck by lightning while hiking Sicily's Mount Etna

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MILAN (AP) — An American tourist was killed by a lightning strike on Sicily's Mount Etna while hiking Europe's largest volcano following a period of intense activity, Italian firefighters said Monday.

The 29-year-old man from Kansas was rescued by helicopter after being struck Sunday evening in an exposed, barren area. He was later declared dead by medical personnel. His name was not released.

The man was found at about 1,400 meters (nearly 4,600 feet) in the Rocca Capra area.

Authorities have closed 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 — but it was unclear if he was in such an area.

Officials said that more people have died on Etna from lightning strikes over recent decades than from volcanic activity. The last eruption-related fatalities were in 1987.