ROM, July 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A volcano has erupted on the Italian island of Stromboli, killing one person and sending frightened tourists fleeing.
The victim is a male hiker who was hit by a falling stone, while other people were injured.
The navy has been deployed for a possible mass evacuation, with 70 people already evacuated.
The volcano is one of the most active on the planet and has been under a regular state of eruption since 1932.
“Unfortunately one man is dead, there are a few injured, but none seriously,” emergency worker Calogero Foti told Italy’s Rai television.
The victim was a 35-year-old man from Sicily who was hiking when the volcano erupted twice. His Brazilian friend was discovered dehydrated and in a state of shock, the AGI news agency reported.
Firefighters are battling flames on the island.
Holidaymakers were reported to have run into the sea after seeing ash rising from the volcano. The island is a popular location for holiday homes of the rich and famous.
Stromboli is known as the “Lighthouse of the Mediterranean” and has a population of around 500. The last major eruption was in 2002, when a blast destroyed local buildings and piers, injuring six. — NNN-AGENCIES
