The sulfuric gas surfacing in the crater ignites on contact with air and causes these mystical, meter-high blue flames. A part of the gas condenses into liquid, burning sulfur forming deeply blue glowing, lava-like streams.
The sulfur miners are constantly exposed to the clouds of noxious fumes and the hazards of volcanic activity. Simultaneously, hundreds of tourists climb the volcano each day. A very controversial experience.
A miner extracts sulfur with the help of a long iron pole. Every day 200 miners risk their health and lifes for a meager payment of about 9€ per day.
Pure sulfure - The emerging liquid sulfur is still red, turning orange and finally bright yellow while cooling down. The miners try to earn a little extra money by selling pieces of sulfur to the tourists - raw or carved for example in the form of a
A worker carrying sulfur down from the the volcano. The baskets the miners carry up the steep slope of the crater and then 3km downhill weigh up to 90 kg.
Deceptive beauty - the perfectly innocent turquoise crater lake is in fact 100% deadly. It is the largest acidic lake on earth and has a diameter of almost one kilometer.
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