Indonesia - Devil's gold miners
Devil's gold miners. That's how they are called. They are the miners of Ijen, in southern Java, the last sulfur mine in the world in an active volcano. It is anachronistic and incredible to observe their living and working conditions. They leave the base camp at the foot of the volcano and with a three-hour walk they arrive at the top of the mountain and then descend for 300 meters in the mouth of the volcano, two or three times a day. They go back with 70/100 kg of sulfur on their shoulders. The path is steep and at the bottom there is the most dangerous sulfur lake in the world. All this for 12 euros per day. Their average life is 50 years. The more fortunate (few) have anti gas goggles. Most have a rag to cover their mouth. Sulfur exhalations are toxic, burn eyes and lungs and corrode skin and teeth. We went down twice in a week because we could not believe our eyes. We met some of them who told us their story, their health problems related to the calluses that are formed on their shoulders for the inhuman weight they carry. We were upset and hypnotized by this unreal world
Indonesia - Devil's gold miners
Devil's gold miners. That's how they are called. They are the miners of Ijen, in southern Java, the last sulfur mine in the world in an active volcano. It is anachronistic and incredible to observe their living and working conditions. They leave the base camp at the foot of the volcano and with a three-hour walk they arrive at the top of the mountain and then descend for 300 meters in the mouth of the volcano, two or three times a day. They go back with 70/100 kg of sulfur on their shoulders. The path is steep and at the bottom there is the most dangerous sulfur lake in the world. All this for 12 euros per day. Their average life is 50 years. The more fortunate (few) have anti gas goggles. Most have a rag to cover their mouth. Sulfur exhalations are toxic, burn eyes and lungs and corrode skin and teeth. We went down twice in a week because we could not believe our eyes. We met some of them who told us their story, their health problems related to the calluses that are formed on their shoulders for the inhuman weight they carry. We were upset and hypnotized by this unreal world