Tourist dies after falling 250ft into crater of active volcano while ‘posing for photo’

A tourist has tragically died after falling 250ft into a crater of an active volcano in Indonesia.

31-year-old Chinese national Huang Lihong fell into the Ijen Crater in Banyuwangi, according to local media reports.

On Saturday (20 April), she and her husband, Zhang Yong, had apparently tried to climb the steep slope of Mount Ijen with a local tour guide so they could watch a remarkable sunrise from the volcano's rim.

With such a beautiful spectacle on display, Huang decided to pose for some photos.

However, as she was preparing for the perfect snap, she reportedly got her skirt caught.

The tourist moments before the fatal incident. (Newsflash)

This caused her to stumble to the point where she ended up tumbling backwards over the edge into the crater in front of her horrified husband.

One photograph released following the incident shows Huang posing for a snap with one leg raised as she stood at the rim of the volcano, as clouds of steam and sulphur gas rose behind her.

Local media have since reported that she fell 250 feet into the mouth of the volcano, with it taking rescuers more than two hours to retrieve her body.

Dwi Putro Sugiarto, the head of the Department of Conservation for the Banyuwangi region, has since told reporters that the incident was an accident and that tourists should always remain safe while visiting Mount Ijen.

The tourist's body is scheduled to be transported to Bali before it is taken by air back to China.

Mount Ijen is found on the border between Banyuwangi and Bondowoso in East Java, where it lines up amongst a group of volcanoes.

Huang has tragically died. (Newsflash)

These volcanoes are known for their blue fire, an effect created by sulphuric gas emanating from the crater and igniting and burning.

In the summer of 2022, a fellow tourist fell into the crater of Mount Vesuvius after taking a selfie on a forbidden route.

Italian media reported at the time that the then 23-year-old and his family from the US ignored signage and walked on an out-of-bounds path.

And the man decided to take a selfie on this prohibited route, but it didn't exactly go to plan.

As he was standing at the summit of the iconic Naples landmark, he dropped his phone, ultimately falling as he tried to retrieve it.

Police, a rescue helicopter and Vesuvius guides had to be called out after the man dropped several metres.

He was treated in hospital for cuts and bruises to his arms and back.

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