October 19, 2015•Update: October 19, 2015
By Ainur Rohmah
JAKARTA, Indonesia
Seven climbers have been killed in a forest fire that hit the slopes of Mount Lawu in Indonesia's Java island, leaving two other with serious burns.
Johanson Ronald Simamora, Magetan Regency police chief, told Anadolu Agency on Monday, "until now, the death toll has reached seven climbers. They are mostly from Ngawi Regency".
The two hikers injured in the fire Sunday afternoon, which a National Disaster Management Agency statement said was caused by a bonfire started by climbers, remain in critical condition.
A climber who survived the incident but lost five of the 13 companions she had been hiking with said they were caught off guard when the weeds and trees along the mountain trail burst into flames.
"The sparks were on my jacket. I [am] lucky to be able to save myself by taking refuge behind a large rock that did not burn," Tempo.co quoted Dita Kurniawan as saying.
"While saving myself, I saw five people lying on the climbing path. Most of their bodies were burnt."
Rescue teams continued to search Monday for any other possible victims.
The police are further investigating the cause behind the fire.
Sunday’s fire was the second in two weeks on Mount Lawu, where a previous incident occurred in August after the start of the region’s dry season.
