Tourist slammed for dangerous act on active volcano that could have 'killed her almost instantly'

A foolhardy tourist has come under fire online after she was filmed climbing up to the rim of an active volcano in Indonesia.

Footage of the woman's stomach-churning clamber up Mount Dukono - which has been erupting continuously since 1933 - has been circulating on social media.

And it's not the climber's scrambling skills which have got people talking, but rather her 'stupidity' for scaling the side of the volcano which is located in the northern part of Halmahera island.

In the clip, the thrill-seeker can be seen finishing off her dangerous ascent up Mount Dukono before attempting to steady her footing as the ground crumbles beneath her feet.

She then clings to the rim of the volcano after hauling herself up, before gazing off into the distance as a huge ash cloud rose from the crater.

The woman didn't seem to phased by the thick plumes of smoke billowing towards her, as she was then seen turning around and putting her thumbs up to the camera excitedly.

But she got quite the rude awakening a few seconds later when a huge bang exploded from the volcano, seeing her recoil in shock.

The video then concluded by showing the smoke pouring from the base of the crater.

It's interesting stuff, that's for sure - but people can't believe the woman would risk scaling Mount Dukono after what happened there back in August.

Drone footage captured the heart-stopping moment a group of hikers were forced to run for their lives after reaching the rim, as the volcano suddenly erupted.

The group had reportedly ignored a ban on entering the danger zone which was enforced by Indonesia's national disaster agency due to increased volcanic activity, according to The Telegraph.

Priatin Hadi Wijaya, the head of the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, said at the time: "The general public is advised not to climb or visit Mount Dukono as volcanic activity is still high at the moment."

He said the volcano was on a Level II alert, meaning that authorities had prohibited visitors from entering the area within a 3km radius of the crater.

Dukono Volcano Observation Post Officer Bambang Sugiono also added: "Our appeal from PVMBG is to always be alert.

"Follow the warnings from PVMBG, where you should not approach the crater of Mount Dukono within an approximately 3km radius."

Although the hiking group managed to escape by the skin of their teeth, volcano fanatics thought that the incident would emphasise the danger of such climbs.

However, as one social media user put it: "[It] seems people don't learn..."

The video quickly gained traction online and has racked up a whopping 921,700 views since it was shared to X on Saturday (28 December).

As you can imagine, people weren't exactly full of praise after watching the woman's 'reckless' antics - and some even warned that one wrong move could have 'killed her instantly'.

One said: "That edge can crumble at the slightest stress… look at her hand holds crumbling… such buffoons."

Another added: "What?! That's wild! I'm an adrenaline fueled person, and I would not do this. I prefer breathing lol."

A third added: "The lava fountain can light you on fire from radiant heat alone at distance. I combed an active volcano once when younger and less wise; just about found out. It’s very cool but definitely stupid."

A fourth wrote: "If the wind had shifted even slightly, the direction of the pyroclastic flow would have killed her almost instantly.

"I don’t know who should be blamed for this, but it’s time for Indonesia to stop allowing visitors to climb highly active volcanoes like Dukono and Merapi."

A fifth chimed in: "Some things just aren't worth the risk."