- The victim was identified as Huang Lihong, a 31-year-old Chinese tourist.
A tourist has died after plunging 80 meters into the crater of an active volcano in Indonesia, reportedly while posing for sunrise photographs.
The victim, identified as Huang Lihong, a 31-year-old Chinese national, fell into the Ijen Crater in Banyuwangi, Indonesia, on April 20, according to local media reports.
She and her husband, Zhang Yong, had reportedly hiked up the slope with a local guide so they could watch the spectacular sunrise from the edge of the volcano.
But while Lihong was posing for photographs, her skirt allegedly got caught, causing her to trip. She ended up falling backwards off the edge of the crater in front of her horrified husband.
A photograph released after her fall shows the victim posing on what appears to be the edge of the volcano with one leg raised and clouds of steam and sulfur gas rising behind her.
A photograph released after her fall shows Huang Lihong (pictured) posing on what appears to be the edge of the volcano with one leg raised and clouds of steam and sulfur gas rising behind her.
Local media said he fell 80 meters into the mouth of the volcano and it took rescuers more than two hours to recover his body.
Local media said he fell 80 meters into the mouth of the volcano and it took rescuers more than two hours to recover his body.
Dwi Putro Sugiarto, head of the Banyuwangi Region Conservation Department, said the incident was an accident and tourists should always remain safe while climbing Mount Ijen.
His body will reportedly be transported to Bali before being flown back to China.
Mount Ijen is part of a group of volcanoes on the border between Banyuwangi and Bondowoso in East Java.
They are known for their blue fire, which is an effect created by sulfuric gas emanating from the crater igniting and burning.