A tourist plunged 250 feet to her death in Indonesia after tripping while taking photos on the edge of an active volcano.
The woman, identified as Huang Lihong, a 31-year-old Chinese citizen, was with her husband on a guided tour of Ijen – a volcanic park in East Java – when she fell into the crater on Saturday, a Hongxing News reported.
The couple had climbed to the top of the active volcano, known for its popular “blue fire” phenomenon, to watch the sunrise.
The tour guide later told authorities that Lihong initially kept a safe distance from the crater rim after being repeatedly warned of the dangers as he posed for photos.
But then she started backing away to get closer – then accidentally stepped on her long clothes, tripped and fell into the volcano’s mouth.
A photo circulating in local media showed Lihong apparently posing with her leg raised and clouds of sulfurous gas behind her just before her fatal fall.
It took rescuers about two hours to recover his body, authorities said.
The tourist’s death has since been ruled an accident.
His body was to be transported to Bali before being flown back to China, local media reported.
The Ijen volcano, one of the clusters in the region, is known for its “blue fire”, caused by the combustion of sulfuric gases.
New York Post
