SHE climbed the 3,500m-tall volcano, then climbed into the crater for a closer look.
These file pictures show the Mount Nyiragongo crater, and the steepness of its walls. -- Pictures: APPLE DAILY
But while she was taking photographs of the volcano in Africa, Ms Cecilia Cheng Siu-yan, 33, lost her footing.
She plunged 200m into the crater of Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and ended up on a ledge.
The incident happened on Friday.
Ms Cheng, who was from Hong Kong, was found dead on a ledge the next day, despite the best efforts of UN troops to save her, reported the South China Morning Post.
A spokesman for the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo said that Ms Cheng had been accompanied by park guards when she climbed the active volcano, which is in the Virunga National Park.
French Volcanologist Jacques Durieux, who was part of the rescue team, said that walking on the volcano was not normally dangerous.
He added: 'But we have heard from the local guards that she tried by herself, without knowledge and without equipment, to go down into the crater.
'They told her not to do so, but she didn't listen to them. That is a terrible mistake.'
These file pictures show the Mount Nyiragongo crater, and the steepness of its walls. -- Pictures: APPLE DAILY
The UN mission's media relations director, Kemal Saiki, said that rescue workers reached her at 12.20am on Saturday and confirmed she was dead.
A helicopter search team had tried, but failed to find her on Friday.
Mr Saiki said: 'The helicopter was rapidly despatched as soon as we heard about the incident and they searched the area, but they could not find her because of poor visibility and bad weather.'
A mountain rescue team comprising 20 Indian Army troops, part of the country's UN peacekeeping force, and two volcanologists was activated and begain scaling the volcano with ropes.
Mr Durieux said: 'It was very difficult and quite dangerous because the walls are extremely unstable.'
Three climbers were sent into the crater to find Ms Cheng.
'They managed to get the body halfway up the cliff face before they returned to the volcano rim. Because of the conditions and the difficult terrain, and the fact that it was getting dark, they decided to suspend the retrieval operation,' said Mr Saiki.
He added: 'They believe that she died at the moment of the fall, although the body did not show serious injuries. They have left it on another ledge in the cliff and they will go back in the morning and pull it up.'
TRAVELLING ALONE
Mr Saiki said that Ms Cheng is believed to have left Hong Kong in 2004. She was apparently travelling alone, and had registered for a visitors permit to enter the park.
The Chinese embassy has confirmed her name and age and that she was a Hong Kong SAR passport holder.
Embassy spokesman Yu Qiuzhong said Ms Cheng obtained a visa in Rwanda, but it was not known when she had arrived in Congo.
The volcano is one of the few tourist attractions in the country.
An Immigration Department spokesman said it contacted the victim's family in Hong Kong and would provide any help.
'Meanwhile, we are seeking more information from the Chinese embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.'
taken at :
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...35380,00.html?
HK woman falls into volcano and dies 
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