Swiss among tourists trapped by earthquake near Indonesian volcano

Rescue workers and army personnel prepare to evacuate tourists from the region, with the Rinjani volcano looming in the distance. Keystone

Some 13 Swiss tourists have been trapped on an Indonesian volcano, according to local reports. In total around 60 Swiss nationals have been affected by the incident, but there are no reports of injuries or fatalities among them, says Swiss public television SRF.

On Sunday, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck near to the base of Mount Rinjani, an active volcano on the Indonesian island of Lombok. It triggered landslides that cut off escape routes for hundreds of people in the surrounding national park.

The Indonesian news portal ‘kabar24’ lists 13 Swiss as being trapped on the volcano that attracts hundreds of thousands of climbers each year. Standing at 3,726 metres above sea level, Rinjani is the second highest mountain in Indonesia and one of several active volcanoes.

Rescue teams and helicopters have been sent to help people stranded in the locality. 

Tour operators Globetrotter, Tui Suisse, Kuoni and Hotelplan Suisse are in contact with around 60 Swiss tourists in the region, SRF reports. But none of them appear to be among the 16 dead and 160 people injured.

Aftershocks from the earthquake caused damage to homes and infrastructure on Lombok and the nearby island of Bali. Tour operators are also working with Swiss holidaymakers in the region to work out alternative plans as transport connections have been affected.