Tough miners dig for sulphur on active volcano

By Bunmi Adigun @Bunmi_Adigun

MINERS risk their lives digging for sulphur while breathing in toxic fumes in one of the world’s most dangerous workplaces

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Brave miner carries block of solidified sulphur with very little protection from toxic smoke

The mine which is located by a crater lake on the Ijen volcano, Indonesia, serves as a vital source of income for people in the area.

Photographer Sutanta Aditya, from Indonesia, took the powerful images on his most recent visit to the volcano.

Each miner carries anything from 75 -100kg of sulphur on their back to the top of the crater

He said: “I wanted to show how humans can coexist with volcanoes and adapt.”

Despite the obvious health risks, the miners hike to the lip of the crater everyday to begin their aduous journey down to the bank of the crater lake where the sulphur is dug up.

Volcanic gas and material has caused the lake in the crater to become blue and highly acidic

Without the use of any specialised equipment, the brave men use simple iron rods to chip away at the chunks of solidified sulphur and pack it into baskets to carry back up.

At more than 2,000 metres above sea level, breathing on the volcano is made even more difficult due to thick fog caused by the gas, however many of the miners work through it with only a piece of cloth to cover their mouths.

Many of the miners are ill-equipped for the terrain and toxic atmosphere

With each load weighing anywhere from 75 - 100 kilograms, the miners are expected to carry the sulphur 800 metres from the crater lake out of the crater on a steep trail.

“Miners do this for the sake of a better life and - in one day - make the journey two times, back and forth all to help sustain their families,” Sutanta added.

Despite the obvious dangers many of the miners are well paid in comparison to local farmers

On average each miner makes 925 rupiah per kilogram which amounts to around 7 cents a kilo.

Although the amount seems like a mere pittance in comparison to how much work they do, a miner can take home up to $14 a day compared to farmers who are paid a lot less.

During the night gas escaping the cracks of the volcano turns blue as it is being ignited due to the heat

Sulphur is then taken to nearby make-shift factories to be separated from the rock and is used for everyday items such as soap and cosmetics.

As well as breathing in toxic fumes the miners also have to be wary of the fact that the volcano is still active and can be unpredictable at times. The last eruption at the volcano happened in 1952.

Miners have to travel 800metres to get from the top to the bottom of the crater

Sutanta said: “In April 2014 the volcano ejected gas and catapulted things in the air, which destroyed the mining area and caused three people to faint due to the toxic gasses.”

The natural phenomenon is one of the draws for visitors to the area

With toxic fumes bellowing around the crater and a lake that is highly acidic it’s hard to believe that the volcano is actually a top tourist destination in the area.

The volcano is active and last erupted 62 years ago in 1952

Every evening visitors to Ijen are treated to a light show as ignited sulphuric gas emerges from the cracks of the volcano to the surface giving off a blue flame and rising up to 16 feet in the air.