A Chinese tourist fell 250 feet into an active volcano in Indonesia while taking photos. The woman allegedly tripped on her clothing close to the edge of the Ijen volcano. She fell into the boiling crater and sadly did not survive.
31-year-old Huang Lihong was visiting the volcano with her husband on a guided tour of the crater. The volcano is known for its blue fire phenomenon, which occurs when gases catch fire. The couple had climbed to the top of the volcano, hoping to capture the blue flames on camera, and were waiting for sunrise when the accident happened.
The guide told Ms Lihong to stay away from the edge while posing for photos. However, he reported to authorities that she had inched backwards towards the edge. Unfortunately, Lihong stepped on her long clothing, tripped, and fell into the crater.
It took rescuers two hours to retrieve the body. The incident has been ruled an accident.
Lihong’s death is yet another selfie or photo-related death amongst many. Selfies have been declared a public health hazard after so many people have met their end by taking photos of themselves. One reason for this is that the victim is often distracted by taking photos and unaware of their surroundings.
A tourist in Italy fell into Mount Vesuvius after attempting to take a photo. Luckily, he survived the fall and was able to be rescued. Unlike the Ijen volcano in Java, Mount Vesuvius is dormant.
Please enjoy visiting these phenomenal locations, but don’t let yourself become yet another victim of selfie culture.
[via nypost]
