Woman, 31, Falls into Volcano While Taking Pictures
A Chinese woman fell into a volcano in Indonesia's East Java province while posing for photos during a group tour to Ijen, a popular volcano tourism park.
According to the South China Morning Post, citing the Chinese newspaper Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, on Saturday, the woman and her husband ascended to the cliff's edge to view the renowned "blue fire" and witness the sunrise.
According to the report, the woman, identified by her surname Huang, inadvertently stepped on her dress and slipped while standing next to a dead tree with the volcano in the background. Her husband was taking photos of her at the time of the accident. Huang reportedly fell approximately 75 meters down the cliff.
The report stated that the Chinese tourist allegedly disregarded warnings from the tour guide about the area being "very dangerous" before venturing to the spot.
Around two hours later, the woman's body was recovered. Her husband was reportedly inconsolable at the hospital.
The Ijen volcano area attracts numerous tourists who come to witness the "blue fire" phenomenon. Additionally, last week, a remote volcano in Indonesia erupted more than half a dozen times, resulting in the closure of Sam Ratulangi International Airport.
Last week, Mount Ruang, a stratovolcano in Indonesia's outermost region, experienced a combination of lava, ash columns, and lightning, prompting the evacuation of thousands. Despite being over 100 km away from the volcano's crater, the airport was affected by the volcanic activity.
Last year, a volcano eruption in Indonesia's Sumatra region resulted in the deaths of at least 22 people. Mount Marapi erupted, emitting a column of ash three kilometers high while 75 people were hiking in the vicinity.
Indonesia, being a vast archipelago nation, often faces seismic and volcanic activity due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire."
The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now.