A tourist died after she plunged 250 feet into an active volcano in Indonesia as she posed on the crater while her horrified husband took a picture.
The victim, named as 31-year-old Chinese national Huang Lihong, tumbled into the Ijen Crater in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia, on 20th April, according to local media reports
It is understood that she stumbled and fell after catching her clothing on the rock face and disappeared down the crater.
Local media said that she and her husband Zhang Yong had climbed the slope with a local guide so they could watch the dramatic sunrise from the volcano’s rim.
But as Lihong posed for the snaps she stumbled and ended up tumbling backwards over the edge.
One photograph released after the fall shows Lihong posing on what appears to be the rim of the volcano with one leg raised and whisps of steam and sulphur gas rising behind her.
Local media said that she fell 75 metres (250 feet) into the mouth of the volcano and it took rescuers more than two hours to retrieve her body.
Dwi Putro Sugiarto, the head of the Department of Conservation for the Banyuwangi region, told local media that the incident was an accident and that tourists should always remain safe while scaling Mount Ijen.
Local media reported that her body is scheduled to be transported to Bali before it is taken by air 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 sulphuric gas emanating from the crater and igniting and burning.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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