US tourist killed by lightning on Mount Etna

An American tourist has died after being struck by lightning on Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano, according to multiple international reports. The 29-year-old man was hiking on the volcano's eastern slope on Sunday when a thunderstorm developed, and he was later pronounced dead at a hospital in Catania, the New York Times reported.

Italian firefighters said the man was walking in an area that had been closed to visitors due to recent volcanic activity, the Guardian reported. The incident comes as Etna continues to erupt, sending plumes of lava and ash into the sky and forcing the repeated closure of Catania Airport during the peak summer travel season, Deutsche Welle reported.