Rio de Janeiro, Jan 21, (dpa/GNA) – A German tourist has been found dead in the Peruvian Andes, with authorities suspecting he was killed by a lightning strike during heavy rainfall, police said on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old set out by bicycle on Saturday from Huaraz, a town in the northern Andes of Peru about 400 kilometres north-east of the capital Lima, police added. He had planned to cycle to Lake Conococha, a high-altitude lake between Lima and Huaraz.
After the man was reported missing for more than a day, police and rescue services launched a search operation.
Local media reported that the tourist had taken shelter in a tent during a sudden storm and was apparently struck by lightning. The public prosecutor’s office is investigating the exact circumstances of his death.
The region around Huaraz is considered the centre for mountain sports and adventure tourism in Peru. Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are common during the current rainy season.
GNA