MOUNTAINEER DIES DURING MOUNT LAWU CLIMB

Magetan, E Java, Dec 28 (ANTARA) - A mountaineer has reportedly died while trying to scale Mount Lawu during bad weather around the mountain on Monday.

Another mountaineer was in a critical condition and 20 others in weak condition, according to a Magetan Sewu Cemoro monitoring post guard, Agus Suwandono.

Agus said a joint search and rescue (SAR) team was trying to evacuate the dead mountaineer`s body trough the Lawu mountain climbing post, in Cemoro Kandang, Karanganyar district, Central Java.

The mountaineers in trouble were part of a group of 55 who came from Ngawi and Blora to conduct a traditional ritual called "suroan" at Petilasan Hargo Dalem since Sunday (Dec 27).

The group was divided into three smaller ones which took different routes, namely Cemoro Sewu East Java, Cemoro Kandang Central Java and Ngawi Jogorogo.

"Initial information on the mountaineers` conditions was received from Muis, a local resident who was also taking care of the dead body, Agus said.

Cold and hunger during the ritual were belived to have caused the moutaineer`s death due to the heavy rain in the area since Sunday. Hail also reported to have occurred on Mount Lawu region.

The position of the 20 weak mountaineers and one dead body was at an altitude of 3.100 meters above sea level and this made the evacuation effort more difficult.

Hargo Dalem is located about 6.5 kilometers from the Magetan Cemoro Sewu post Watch and to get there the rescuers needed five to six hours due to the fairly steep path.

Before climbing, Agus had warned the mountaineers about the bad weather, and the heavy rain that had made the route slippery.

Hargo Dalem is about 200 meters away from the Mount Lawu summit located at an altitude of 3.265 above sea level. Allegedly, the weather was really cold during the climb, and their logistical preparation was minimal and this was the cause of the mountaineers k condition