An American tourist in his 30s was fatally struck by lightning while hiking on Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano located in Sicily. The incident occurred on Sunday when a thunderstorm developed on the mountain. Emergency services and firefighters located the man in cardiac arrest around 20:00 local time in a restricted area near the summit. He was transported by helicopter to Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Authorities have been restricting access to portions of Mount Etna, particularly the upper slopes where shelter is limited above the tree line, due to heightened volcanic activity on the mountain. Italy’s civil protection agency has cautioned that the combination of ongoing eruptions and rapid weather changes at higher elevations creates hazardous conditions for visitors. The volcano has experienced a series of recent eruptions that have disrupted air traffic in the region while simultaneously attracting increased tourist interest.
The mountain draws approximately 1.5 million visitors annually. Recent volcanic activity has generated significant ash clouds that have affected skies across eastern Sicily and caused hundreds of flight cancellations and delays at Catania International Airport during the past week. An aviation warning level for the airport was downgraded on Saturday from red, the highest alert status, to orange.
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