At least 543 rescued from Indonesian volcano after earthquake

Published Jul 31, 2018

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Jakarta - At least 543 hikers have been rescued from a volcano on the Indonesian resort island of Lombok after being stranded by landslides triggered by a deadly earthquake, an official said on Tuesday. 

At least 16 people were killed by falling debris and several hundred injured after Sunday's magnitude-6.4 earthquake, the National Disaster Management Agency said. 

There were 189 foreigners among the hikers rescued from Mount Rinjani on Monday by a team consisting of civilians, soldiers and police, according to agency spokesman Sutopo Nugroho.

"They were all safe and sound," he added.

Another six climbers and the body of one Indonesian hiker were found on the mountain early Tuesday, with retrieval efforts continuing, Nugroho said.

A total of 573 foreigners have been accounted for so far, said the director of the Rinjani National Park, Sudiyono. Many of these trekked down the mountain themselves before the rescue mission was launched.

The foreigners include 311 from Thailand, 26 from Germany, 24 from the Netherlands and 16 from Britain, Sudiyono said.

"There are still about 10 people up there but they are all Indonesians," he said.

Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, which is known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The country is home to about 130 active volcanoes.

dpa

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