On Monday evening, 30 July, the last 174 Thai climbers of the 269 in the group who were trapped on the slopes of Mt. Rinjani in Lombok when a huge landslide obstructed their trail, came down safely, personally welcomed by the Ambassador of Thailand to Indonesia, H.E. Songphol Sukchan. They were then transported to Mataram, capital city of Lombok. Here the Lombok tourism industry had prepared Free Accommodation and meals for all those affected by the Lombok quake.
Upon hearing this great news, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya was clearly emotionally affected. With glistening tears in his eyes and a lump in his throat, Minister Yahya admitted that for two days he had been deely concerned for the safety of the hundreds of young people who remained trapped up the montain since the earthquake struck North East Lombok, Sunday morning, at 06.47 hrs. local time.
The evening before, on Sunday, all 21 Malaysian climbers were also accounted for, where, unfortunately, one had lost her life when a wall of the lodge, where the group stayed, collapsed. All others are also safe in Mataram, although 10 are reported to have lost their passports, but have been given special passes by Indonesia’s Immigration upon approval from the Government of Malaysia.
The latest good news received from Lombok was that another 20 French climbers handled by their travel agent had also been rescued and are reported safe.
When the earthquake struck on Sunday at dawn, hundreds of tourists were trekking up to the crater of the popular Mt. Rinjani, renowned for its fabulous sceneries. The quake caused a huge landslide which completely blocked the trails down, so all were trapped near the crater. An integrated joint Rescue Team comprising among others of SAR members, the local government, members of the Army and Airforce was immediately activated to rescue those trapped, while Minister of Tourism, Arief Yahya, also immediately activated the Tourism Crisis Center.
With the support of tourism stakeholders and the tourism industry of Lombok, all agreed to make available 8 hotels in Mataram for all victims Free of Charge for the first night, and a discount between 50% to 75% for the following nights. The government would also provide free transportation to other islands for onward flights should the Lombok Airport be closed, said Head of Tourism Office for West Nusatenggara province, Lalu Mohammad Faozal. All rescue operations and hospital treatment of victims are also being supplied by the Indonesian Government.
“ Thai Ambassador Songphol Sukchan looked most happy to greet all Thai climbers safely down from the mountain at the evacuation point. He also assisted with distributing food and drink to them. Excellency Songphol Sukchan, moreover, expressed his deep appreciation for the assistance of the rescue team and the Indonesian Government, said Faozal.
In this context, Faozal said that the Povincial Government of West Nusatenggara declares the island of Lombok is Safe and Open for all visitors,except to the areas affected by the quake around the village of Sembalun in the district of East Lombok, and the village of Senaru in the district of North Lombok, which are temporarily closed”.
Faozal further urges the public not to spread fake news and select their information that are sourced only from reliable government sources.
The provincial government promises to continue to provide factual information.
On his part, Tourism Minister, Arief Yahya, also gave his appreciation to all participating private sectors in Lombok, who have given their unstinting support during this natural disaster. These include: PHRI (Indonesia Hotels and Restaurants Association) of West Nusatenggara, Asita (Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies) NTB, INCCA (Indonesian Congress and Convention Association) NTB, IMA (Indonesia Marketing Assosiation) NTB and Astindo Indonesia Travel Agencies Association). Also the Government of West Nusatenggara and the Head of the Tourism Office who have worked around the clock in handling Management of this Crisis.
Breathtakingly Beautiful Mt. Rinjani
The mighty Rinjani mountain of Gunung Rinjani is a massive volcano which towers over theisland of Lombok. A climb to the top is one of the most exhilarating experiences one can have in Indonesia. At 3,726 meters tall, Gunung Rinjani is the second highest mountain in Indonesia.
Within the mountain is a crescent shaped lake, the breathtaking Segara Anak which is a spiritual place. This lake of sulfur is located 600 meters below the crater rim. Rising from the waters of this lake is a new volcano, Mt Baru, which is the result of a series of eruptions during the 1990’s.
Mt Rinjani lies within the Gunung Rinjani National Park. The park covers 41,330 hectares and sits inside a major bio-geographical transition zone (Wallacea). This is where the tropical flora and fauna of South East Asia meets those of Australasia. This National Park was established in 1997 and is one of over 40 throughout Indonesia.
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