31-year-old Chinese woman posing for photo dies after falling into Indonesian volcano

A 31-year-old Chinese woman has died after falling over the edge of a crater while posing for a photo at an Indonesian volcano known for its popular “blue fire” phenomenon. According to New York Post Office, the woman, identified as Huang Lihong, was with her husband on a guided tour when the incident occurred on Saturday. The couple, in an attempt to watch the sunrise, climbed to the edge of the Ijen crater – a volcanic tourist park in the region – police said.

According to police, the woman fell from a height of 75 meters and died from the impact of the fall. The death was ruled an accident because The post.

The tourist association later told authorities that Ms. Lihong kept a safe distance from the crater’s rim after being repeatedly warned of the dangers while posing for photos. However, she started walking backwards to get closer and accidentally stepped on her long clothes, tripped and fell into the mouth of the volcano. It’s unclear whether the 31-year-old was wearing a skirt or dress.

According to authorities, it took rescuers about two hours to recover Ms. Lihong’s body.

Notably, the Ijen volcano is known for its “blue fire” caused by the blue light emitted by the combustion of sulfuric gases. According to The Independent, in 2018, many people were forced to evacuate their homes and at least 30 people were hospitalized after the volcano began emitting toxic gases. Mount Ijen regularly releases small amounts of harmful gases, but the site remains open to the public.

Indonesia is home to around 130 active volcanoes. Recently, a remote Indonesian volcano sent a tower of ash into the sky after nearly half a dozen eruptions forced thousands of people to evacuate as molten rocks rained down on their villages. Mount Ruang in Indonesia’s outermost North Sulawesi region began erupting on April 16, stirring up a spectacular mix of fiery orange lava, a towering column of ash and volcanic lightning. The country’s volcanology agency said the eruption sent a plume of smoke 400 meters (1,312 feet) above the peak.