A volcano on the Italian island of Stromboli erupted dramatically on Wednesday, reportedly killing a hiker and sending tourists fleeing. The volcano is known to be active but on Wednesday there was a particularly powerful eruption. Italian media reported that a hiker had been killed and their partner injured, but firefighters could not immediately confirm any casualties.
The dead man was a 35-year-old from Sicily who was walking with a Brazilian companion who was found in dehydrated and in a state of shock, the AGI news agency reported. They were walking below the 400 metre altitude limit above which a guide is required. A boat has been sent to the 12 square kilometre (five square miles) island for a possible evacuation, Italian media said. "It was like being in hell because of the rain of fire coming from the sky," Italian news agencies quoted local priest Giovanni Longo as saying. He said it was not known if there were any hikers on the volcano at the time of the eruption, which caused fires around the village of Ginostra.
Stromboli is topped by an active volcano which is a magnet for tourists from early spring each year. Italian media reported that some tourists had fled into the sea after the eruption, while others had barricaded themselves into homes.
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