A tourist has tragically died after falling 250 feet into the crater of an active volcano in Indonesia.
According to local media reports, a 31-year-old Chinese national, Huang Lihong, fell into the Ijen Crater in Banyuwangi.
On Saturday (April 20), she and her husband, Chan Yong, had apparently attempted to scale the steep slopes of Mount Ijen with a local tour guide to watch a spectacular sunrise from the volcano’s rim.
With such a beautiful sight unfolding before his eyes, Huang decided to take a photo.
However, as she prepared to take the perfect snapshot, her skirt got caught.
Tourists moments before a fatal incident. (Breaking News)
This caused her to stumble and fall backwards down the cliff into a crater in front of her terrified husband.
One photo released after the incident shows Huang standing on the edge of the volcano, posing for a photo with one leg raised, as clouds of steam and sulphurous gas rise behind him.
Local media reported that she fell 250 feet into the volcano’s mouth and that it took rescuers more than two hours to recover her body.
Dwi Putoro Segiarto, head of the Banyuwangi region’s nature conservation bureau, later told reporters that the incident was an accident and that tourists should always practice safety when visiting Mount Ijen.
The tourist’s body will be transported to Bali and then flown back to China.
Mount Ijen is located on the border of Banyuwangi and Bondowoso in East Java, among a group of volcanoes.
Mr. Huang has tragically passed away. (Breaking News)
These volcanoes are known for their blue flames, which are produced when sulfur gases emanating from their craters ignite and burn.
In the summer of 2022, a fellow tourist fell into the crater of Mount Vesuvius after taking a selfie on a prohibited route.
Italian media reported at the time that a 23-year-old man from the United States and his family had ignored the signs and walked along a restricted road.
The man then decided to take a selfie on this forbidden route, but things didn’t go as planned.
He was standing at the top of Naples’ iconic landmark when he dropped his phone and ended up falling while trying to pick it up.
Police, a rescue helicopter and Vesuvius guides had to be called in after the man fell several metres.
He was treated at a hospital for cuts and bruises on his arms and back.
