Chinese Woman Taking Photos Near Crater's Edge Dies After Falling Into Active Indonesia Volcano

Chinese Woman Taking Photos Near Crater’s Edge Dies After Falling Into Active Indonesia Volcano

A Chinese tourist jumped to her death while attempting to click photos near an Indonesian volcano, where she had gone along with her husband to watch the sunrise. Ijen volcano, which is known for its blue fire emission, is a popular tourist spot in Indonesia. The 31-year-old woman who slipped from the edge of the crater of Ijen was warned by her tour guide multiple times to keep a safe distance from the volcano as she was posing for photos.

The police said that the woman, identified as Huang Lihong, plummeted into the volcano from a height of 250 feet. The incident took place when she along with her husband were on a guided tour in the East Java province. Officials said that her death was marked as an accident.

The tour guide who was with the couple said that initially, the woman maintained a two to three metres distance from the edge of the cliff, however, Lihong started moving backward to take a photo and this was the moment when she stepped on her long flowing trail of clothing and tripped causing her to lose her balance and fall into the volcano.

It was not clear if she was wearing a dress or skirt. The Ijen volcano’s blue emission is caused by the combustion of sulfuric gases. Even though the volcano on a regular basis emits noxious gases in small amounts, it still remains open to the public.