An American tourist hiking Mount Etna in Sicily was killed by a lightning strike Sunday, adding a surprising and deadly hazard to the list of dangers surrounding one of Europe’s most active volcanoes.

Italian firefighters say the 29-year-old man from Kansas was struck in an exposed, barren area of the volcano at nearly 4,600 feet.

He was rescued by helicopter but was later pronounced dead by medical personnel. Authorities have not released his name.

The incident comes as Mount Etna has been experiencing a prolonged period of volcanic activity.

What we know about the danger

Authorities have closed some areas of the volcano’s slopes to hikers, and activity from Etna forced the nearby Catania airport to close for much of last week. 

Despite the volcano’s reputation for lava and eruptions, lightning may actually pose a greater danger to people on Etna. Officials say more people have been killed by lightning strikes on the volcano in recent decades than by volcanic activity. The last eruption-related fatalities occurred in 1987.

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How common are lightning strikes around volcanoes?

According to meteorologist Jonathan Belles, there are two main ways lightning can develop around a volcano.

The first is actual thunderstorm lightning. This happens when a thunderstorm develops its own electrical charge through friction between lofted ice particles. The volcano happens to be one of the tallest objects in the area, making it a better target for a lightning strike.

The second is called "volcanic lightning," which is generated by the eruption itself. Huge amounts of ash, rock, lava and other particles collide and create electrical charges. When those charges build up enough, they can be released as lightning.

Volcanic lightning has been observed around several famous erupting volcanoes around the world, including Etna, Mexico’s Popocatépetl, the Philippines’ Taal and Guatemala’s Volcán de Fuego.