E-Paper
Chinese woman, 31, falls into Indonesian volcano while trying to pose for photos, dies
A Chinese tourist slipped and fell into the Ijen volcano in Indonesia. She and her husband were part of a tour group.
A Chinese woman slipped and plunged into the depths of a volcano in Indonesia on Saturday when she was trying to pose for photos. The woman and her husband were part of a group tour to Ijen, a volcano tourism park in the East Java province, according to reports.
On Saturday, the woman and her husband climbed to the edge of a cliff to get a glimpse of the famous “blue fire” as well as watch the sun rise, South China Morning Post reported, quoting Chinese newspaper Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.
The woman, whose surname is Huang, accidentally stepped on her dress and slipped as she stood next to a dead tree, with the volcano as her backdrop. The husband was clicking her photos when the accident took place, according to the report. She reportedly fell 75 metres down the cliff.
The tourist from China allegedly ignored warnings from the tour guide against going to the “very dangerous” spot, the report said.
The woman's body was retrieved around two hours later. Her husband was inconsolable in the hospital.
Many tourists flock to the Ijen volcano area to see the “blue fire” phenomenon.
Last week, a remote volcano in Indonesia erupted more than half a dozen times, forcing the closure of Sam Ratulangi international airport.
The Mount Ruang stratovolcano in Indonesia's outermost region stirred a mix of lava, ash columns and lightning last week, forcing the evacuation of thousands. The airport is located over 100 km the crater of the volcano.
Last year, at least 22 people died after a volcano erupted in Indonesia's Sumatra. Mount Marapi erupted, belching out a tower of ash three kilometres into the sky as 75 people were hiking in the area.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire".
