Tourist dies after being struck by lightning while hiking Mount Etna amid volcano’s latest dramatic eruption

A TOURIST has died after being struck by lightning while hiking Italy’s Mount Etna amid the volcano’s latest eruption. The 30-year-old American man was climbing the mountain on Sunday when a powerful thunderstorm broke out. People gather to watch as lava flows down Mount Etna on August 13 Credit: EPA Lava flows down Mount Etna during its recent period of heightened volcanic activity Credit: EPA He had entered an off-limits area in an effort to get closer to the summit of the active volcano, Italian media outlet ANSA reports. Emergency crews, deployed in a helicopter, rushed to the scene at around 8pm local time. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The hiker was found in a state of cardiac arrest and he was flown to the Cannizzaro hospital in Catania. Despite medics’ best efforts, he was pronounced dead on arrival at 9.30pm. The ash cloud erupting from Mount Etna has thrown travel into chaos Credit: Splash Evgenia Filimianova has been left stranded after attending a wedding in Sicily Credit: SWNS The shocking incident comes amid a volatile period of activity for the volcano. Repeated lava flows have been unleashed from the summit in recent weeks as thick plumes of ash cloud the air. Intense “explosive activity” resumed at the summit crater on Monday, with an ash plume rising a few kilometres, according to Volcano Discovery. The ash cloud has thrown travel into chaos with tourists left stranded after airlines were forced to cancel hundreds of flights last week. Most read in The Sun Evgenia Filimianova, 39, flew to Sicily from London to attend a friends wedding but their return flight was cancelled. Evgenia said: “It feels like there is no way out. Emotionally, it’s not easy – it’s stressful and tiring and we weren’t prepared for it.” On Monday morning Catania Airport in Sicily, Italy, announced flights would restart but warned flights are still being cancelled. The airport, Italy’s fifth-busiest hub by passenger traffic, said on Friday it was suspending all flights until August 15. Passengers wait inside the terminal at Vincenzo Bellini Catania Airport amid closures Credit: Reuters Etna is visited by roughly 1.5million people every year Credit: Splash An update on the airport’s website said it had restarted departing and incoming flights after authorities downgraded the aviation alert from red to orange. Etna is visited by roughly 1.5million people every year. But unpredictable volcanic activity and sudden weather changes can make conditions on the mountain perilous. As visitors ascend the mountain they are met with hazardous conditions quickly. “The passage from sea level to high mountain within a few kilometres causes sudden changes in weather due to currents of humid air coming from the sea meeting masses of cold air,” Italy’s Civil Protection agency warns. Authorities have recently restricted access to more areas of the volcano. No-go zones have been marked up specifically on the upper slopes – where there is little shelter – due to the increased volcanic activity. The death of the American hiker was one of two fatal lightning strikes reported in Italy on Sunday. An Italian man also died after being struck while hiking in the Alps in the South Tyrol province, according to authorities.