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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Lifestyle
London - Asharq Al-Awsat

Selfie Craze Pushes Tourist into Volcano Crater

Mount Vesuvius from Naples. (AFP)

A US tourist faces charges for entering forbidden area, to the crater of Mount Vesuvius, towering the city of Naples, in southern Italy.

According to The Guardian, the tourist sustained minor injuries after he fell into the crater of Mount Vesuvius as he scrambled to retrieve his phone, which fell while he was taking a selfie.

The 23-year-old reached the 1,281m-high (4,202ft) summit of the volcano after bypassing a visitor turnstile and proceeding along an out-of-bounds path, the newspaper reported.

The man was taking a selfie when his phone slipped out of his hand and into the mouth of the volcano. He then descended into the crater in an attempt to get his phone back, only to fall after losing his balance.

Police attended the scene, and a mountain rescue helicopter was launched to assist the rescue operation. The man was treated for cuts and bruises on his arms and back.

The tourist and his three relatives face charges for venturing to the volcano without any tickets, and taking a path that was clearly signposted as being forbidden due to being extremely dangerous.

Vesuvius, which destroyed the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum when it erupted in AD79, is considered to be among the most dangerous volcanoes in the world due to its proximity to Naples and other nearby towns.

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