A man known locally as Yemen’s ‘Spider-Man’ has died after falling into an active volcanic crater. The incident occurred on Wednesday near the volcanic field of Harrat al-Shaqa, approximately 200 kilometres north-west of Sana’a. The victim, identified as 34-year-old mountaineer and social media personality Ali al-Mansouri, was attempting to scale the crater’s rim for a video recording when he lost his footing and plunged 150 metres into the fissure.
Emergency responders retrieved his body after a six-hour operation, hampered by the unstable terrain and toxic gas emissions. The British Foreign Office confirmed that an offer of technical assistance from the UK’s International Search and Rescue team has been accepted by Yemeni authorities. A spokesperson said the team would provide expertise in crater recovery and geological assessment, but would not enter the active zone.
Yemen’s civil defence chief described the death as a ‘tragic accident’ and warned against the growing trend of extreme stunts in hazardous locations. The incident has sparked debate over the risks associated with influencer culture in conflict-affected regions. Al-Mansouri, who amassed 500,000 followers on TikTok, had previously climbed several dormant volcanoes in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
His death marks the first recorded fatality linked to the Harrat al-Shaqa volcanic field, which last erupted in the 13th century.
