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Stranded hikers safely rescued from Lombok's quake-hit volcano

Wednesday, 1 August 20183 min read
Stranded hikers safely rescued from Lombok's quake-hit volcano

Several hundred hikers who were trapped on the slopes of Mount Rinjani after the 6.4-magnitude earthquake have now been brought down safely.

Sunday’s strong quake had caused landslides and falling rock, blocking some routes down the mountain.

More than 500 climbers were stranded on the 3,700-metre peak but have now been guided down via an alternative route.

They included tourists from multiple countries including the US, Europe and Thailand.

"They were all tired, but in good condition and were checked by our medical teams on the ground upon arrival," said I Gusti Lanang Wiswananda, spokesman for the Lombok office of the search and rescue agency.

Helicopters had flown above the active volcano’s slopes to locate climbers and dropped food supplies on the mountain.

The epicentre was close to the Rinjani National Park and damaged hundreds of homes in East and North Lombok.

At least 16 people died with more than 160 injured.