Dangerous allure: The Ijen’s ‘blue fire’ is in fact blue light emitted from the combustion of sulphuric gases. — The Straits Times/ANN
A Chinese woman who was posing for photos on an Indonesian volcano known for its stunning “blue fire” phenomenon died after tripping and falling off a cliff.
On Saturday, Huang Lihong, 31, and her husband Zhang Yong, 32, were on a guided tour to Ijen – a volcano tourism park in East Java province – when they climbed to the edge of the crater, Hongxing News reported.
Their tour guide said he had warned the couple about the dangers on the crater.
At first, Huang kept a safe distance of 2m to 3m away from the edge of the cliff as she posed for photos, said the guide.
She then started moving backwards for more pictures.
But as she walked backwards, she accidentally stepped on her long clothing and fell off the cliff.
Local police said on Sunday that the victim plummeted from a height of 75m and died from the impact of her fall. They have classified her death as an accident.
The Ijen is well known for its “blue fire”, which is in fact blue light emitted from the combustion of sulphuric gases.
Its crater, known as Kawah Ijen, which means lonely crater, is a popular site for tourists.
The volcano regularly puffs out small amounts of noxious gases, but stays open to the public.
In February, a 53-year-old Polish tourist was found dead on a climbing route during a hike up to Kawah Ijen. — The Straits Times/ANN
