On April 21, local time, the Indonesian police announced that on the 20th, a Chinese tourist fell to his death at the Izhen volcano in Indonesia. Why did the tourist fall off the cliff, what was the process of the incident, and what safety precautions should be paid attention to when going out to play and take pictures?
Crash from taking photos on the rim of the crater
Indonesian official: It was a pure accident
Chinese tourist fell to his death in Indonesia: the volcano was called the "gate of hell". Video/Beijing News
According to a number of domestic media reports, the female tourist who was killed was traveling to Indonesia with her husband. At 2:10 a.m. on April 20, they were led by a guide to Mount Ijen to see the famous "Blue Flame".
The female tourist wanted to take a photo near an internet celebrity tree. It is reported that the tour guide once reminded her that this Internet celebrity check-in point is very dangerous.
On that day, she was wearing a long dress, the report said. During the photoshoot, she tripped over her long skirt as she stepped back and fell from a 75-meter-high gorge.
On the 21st local time, Indonesian police official Junadi informed the media about the situation of Chinese tourists falling off a cliff at Yizhen Volcano. Police said the 31-year-old Chinese tourist died after falling into a canyon tens of meters deep while taking pictures on the edge of the Izhen crater.
An official from Indonesia's Natural Resources Conservation Agency in East Java said the tourist fell into a canyon about 75 meters deep and it took rescuers two hours to remove the body. In addition, the official said that the incident was purely accidental, reminding all tourists to be safe when climbing Mount Ijen.
The police also said that the hospital and police had difficulty communicating with the families of the tourists killed due to language problems, and tentatively planned to transport the remains to Bali and then return to China by air.
There have been reports that there have been foreign tourists who tried to check in and take photos in similar places and almost fell from a height.
Yizhen Volcano is a famous Internet celebrity check-in point
According to reports, it is not allowed to climb the "Internet celebrity tree" from the 21st
Ijin Volcano. Data map/CCTV News
In 2023, there was a sudden volcanic boom. The release of the documentary "Volcano Love" has led more tourists to another romantic secret in Indonesia - volcanoes. It is reported that 16% of the world's active volcanoes are in Indonesia, and there are more than 400 volcanoes in the country, including more than 120 active volcanoes. The film tells the story of an adventurous French couple chasing various volcanoes. Since then, the Ijen Volcano Sulfuric Acid Lake in the movie has become a check-in place for travel enthusiasts.
Mount Ijin is located in Banyumeng, East Java Province, Indonesia, across the sea from Bali. The volcano is a well-known Internet celebrity check-in point, and many Chinese travel agencies have promoted this attraction on social platforms, and included Yizhen Volcano and Bromo Volcano in the check-in route of the "Double Volcano Tour".
It is understood that Ijin Volcano was once the largest sulfur producer in Indonesia.
When night falls, there are sometimes blue flames that accompany volcanic eruptions. This is because the Kawaijin volcano is rich in sulfur, which burns at night to form a whole blue flame, which is very magical and beautiful. For this reason, Mount Izen has been selling itself as "the only place in the world where you can see blue flames" and attracts tourists from all over the world. When climbing the volcano, visitors are required to wear protective masks to filter out volcanic ash and sulfur vapor, and wear headlamps to illuminate the path beneath their feet. To catch a glimpse of this blue glow, you must arrive near the crater at night. It is also home to the world's largest acidic volcanic lake, the Ijen Crater Lake, which is 200 meters deep and has a total area of more than 5.4 hectares.
Kawai Jin Volcano, Indonesia. Photo/CCTV Station in Jakarta
Some media have noticed that many domestic tourists have shared their experiences of visiting Yizhen Volcano on the platform. Visitors usually start from the gate in the early hours of the morning, first hike up the mountain to the edge of the cliff, and then climb down the cliff to the lake to watch the blue flames. Due to the constant smog of smoke from the lake, tourists generally wear gas masks. There were also people who wore gas masks in the thick smoke to take pictures. When the day dawns and the blue flames are no longer visible, visitors return the same way and climb the cliff to watch the sunrise and overlook the lake. There are bare trees at the sunrise viewing point, and many tourists post photos of themselves standing by the trees to check in, and some people even stand directly on the trees or lie on the trees, and behind the trees is the cliffs. Because the volcano is located in a nature reserve, tourists say that the climb from the crater to the lake is full of rocks, there are no boardwalks, and some people have bruised their arms while climbing. Some people lamented that this line was "a special soldier among special forces". Some people also said that the scene was crowded, and it was very uncomfortable to breathe a puff of sulfur smoke. Many netizens also called this place the "Gate of Hell".
According to the owner of a local homestay, there is an "Internet celebrity tree" at the site of the incident, which is a place where almost all tourists will check in and take pictures. He said that from the 21st, tourists will not be allowed to climb the tree.
In recent years, there have been frequent accidents of punching in and taking pictures
Some were injured, some even died
In January 2024, in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, a college student and two other young people entered Nanjing West Railway Station to check in and take photos. While climbing onto the top of the carriage, the university student was suddenly hit by a high-voltage arc and fell, causing burns to 50% of his body. The companions said that they saw a "guide" on the Internet that the station had been abandoned and now became an "Internet celebrity check-in place", so they ran there according to the guide, but they didn't expect it to cause a tragedy.
Nanjing West Railway Station on the day of the incident. Photo/Yangtze Evening News
In January 2024, a mainland sibling drowned on the beach in Shek O, Hong Kong. After a preliminary investigation by the police, it was suspected that the above-mentioned woman was accidentally swept into the sea by the waves while taking pictures on the shore, and her younger brother jumped into the sea to rescue her, and then drowned. Two people were taken to the hospital and confirmed dead. After the incident, the Hong Kong police issued a post on mainland social platforms, reminding tourists to carefully choose check-in locations, pay attention to safety and do what they can. It is understood that Hong Kong Shek O has attracted many tourists because of its status as a check-in place for the classic Hong Kong drama "The King of Comedy".
Shek O, Hong Kong. Figure/IC
In August 2023, at an Internet celebrity check-in point called Yuliang Dam in Yucheng District, Ya'an, Sichuan, more than a dozen people were taking photos and checking in, when the river suddenly rose, and 11 people were washed away, of which 4 were rescued and 7 were killed.
7 people were killed when the water rose at the Ya'an Yuscale Dam Water Conservancy Bureau: It was notified that it was forbidden to go down the river, and the outer guardrail was damaged. Video/Beijing News
On March 15, 2019, a Chinese female tourist was taking photos off the coast of Bali when she was almost swept away by the sea, but fortunately the girl only had a few abrasions. The place where this scene took place is: "Devil's Tears". "When the waves came in, I felt like someone was pushing me. The person said that he was knocked down by the waves and rolled over and got stuck in the crevices of the reef, so he was not swept away by the waves, and he suffered some minor injuries.
A female tourist recalls being knocked down by a wave in Bali: she got stuck in a crack in the reef and was not swept away. Video/Beijing News
In September 2020, two local young men came to Guanling Ice Mortar in Guizhou Province to play, and one of them, a 19-year-old young man, accidentally slipped and fell into deep water while taking pictures by a deep pool. After two days of hard work, search and rescue personnel found the missing person at a depth of 8 meters and recovered him ashore. It is understood that the Guanling Ice Mortar is the largest ice mortar in the country, which is deeply loved by travelers from all over the world and has become a veritable Internet celebrity check-in place.
Photo/Guizhou Fire Department
The May Day holiday is approaching,
It's important to know these truths about wilderness play
When playing and taking pictures,
These safety precautions should be noted
▶ Don't take photos in the closed area of the railway, the speeding train will keep you from dodging.
▶ Don't take pictures while driving, and don't put your head or hands out of the car.
▶ Do not stand in the middle of the road to take pictures, it is not only dangerous but also obstructs traffic.
▶ When taking photos on the water, do not stick your body out of the boat.
▶ When taking photos, keep an eye on your back and find a place where you can stand firmly.
▶ Be safe when taking photos with wild animals and keep a safe distance from them.
▶ Do not climb to the top of the building to take pictures.
Photo/Lanzhou Fire Department
Sources: Beijing News, CCTV News, Ministry of Emergency Management, Bali China Consular Service, Jiangxi Public Security, People's Daily Online, Yangcheng Evening News, Jimu News, Guangzhou Daily, Jiande Release, local fire official accounts, etc
Edited by Ai Zheng and proofread by Jia Ning