Local authorities have closed the Cemoro Sewu hiking trail on Mount Lawu in East Java following the death of a hiker on Sunday that prompted the deployment of an evacuation team.
The information was shared on Instagram by adventure-based account @koplak.adv and reposted by the official Instagram account of Mt. Lawu management @lawumountain.
“As another incident has occurred, the hiking trail via Cemoro Sewu is closed until further notice,” the post stated along with a photo in which a board announcing the temporary closure of hiking activity was hung on a gate.
The closure came after a hiker from Wonogiri, Central Java, identified as Angga, 27, died while hiking on the mountain on Sunday. Giri Lawu management office head Miko Wicaksono said Angga started to hike at 5: 30 p.m. on Saturday with a group of six people along the Cemoro Sewu trail.
With his friends, he erected tents at midnight around Post 2 of the hiking trail. Later, based on statements by his fellow-hikers Angga reported feeling cold and passed out.
At 3 a.m. his friends went down to report his condition to officials at the mountain’s basecamp.
Another official from Giri Lawu, Dwi Bandono, said the management immediately formed a rapid-response team for evacuation. The team, comprising a total of 50 people, was deployed in groups to carry out the evacuation starting from the first group that went up to the location at 7 a.m.
“The evacuation process was completed at 2 p.m. A team from Magetan Police has checked the body,” he said adding that the victim’s body had been taken to his family’s house.
The police are still investigating the cause of the death, he added. (trn)
