American tourist dies after lightning strike on Mount Etna

A 29-year-old American tourist from Kansas died on Mount Etna in Sicily after being struck by lightning while hiking during a thunderstorm. The incident occurred Sunday evening in an exposed area above the tree line. He was rescued by helicopter and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not yet been confirmed.

Large areas of Etna's slopes are currently closed to hikers due to recent volcanic activity. Local media reported that in recent decades, more people have died from lightning strikes on Etna than from volcanic activity itself. The last death linked to an eruption was in 1987.

Etna has been particularly active in recent weeks, with prolonged activity and continuous ash emissions. This ashfall temporarily closed the nearby airport in Catania, stranding hundreds of passengers during a busy travel period. Flights were rerouted to other Sicilian airports, leading to increased costs for taxis and car rentals.

Boris Behncke, a researcher at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology's Etna Observatory, highlighted the danger volcanic ash poses to aircraft. "Volcanic ash can pose a significant risk to aircraft. It can be sucked into engines and cause them to stop working. That's why everyone is very careful with aircraft when there are volcanic ash emissions," he stated.

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Volcanic ash can pose a significant risk to aircraft. It can be sucked into engines and cause them to stop working. That's why everyone is very careful with aircraft when there are volcanic ash emissions.