10 feared trapped in Mt. Slamet fire<\/p>\n
PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): Ten hikers are feared to be
\ntrapped by a fire on Central Java's Mt. Slamet, which started on
\nSunday, according to local police.<\/p>\n
\"We asked them to come down, but they ignored our request and
\nwe had to leave them,\" Banyumas Police chief Sr. Comr. Nata
\nKesuma said on Monday, adding that he was with 130 police
\nofficers trekking on the mountain when the fire started.<\/p>\n
\"They might have found it difficult to find a safe route down
\nbecause the fire has destroyed a lot of bushes and forest,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the police were taking part in a hiking program, the
\nfinal part of a series of tests for Sabhara police troops.<\/p>\n
Purbalingga Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sofyan Abadi was also
\npresent during the training.<\/p>\n
\"We started trekking at 5 a.m. and saw no signs of a fire. But
\nas we reached a certain level at about noon, some officers said
\nthey saw smoke, suspecting that it was from a bush or forest fire
\non the mountain. Soon after, we decided to descend and saw many
\npeople trekking. About ten people refused to join us and come
\ndown,\" Nata recalled.<\/p>\n
The fire is located at about 3,000 meters above sea level on
\nthe 3,418-meter-high mountain. Mt. Slamet, located in the regency
\nof Tegal, is the highest mountain in Central Java.<\/p>\n
Until Monday, efforts to extinguish the fire had been
\nfruitless.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Banyumas Timur Forestry Office spokesman Sudiman
\nsaid that 12 people, nine villagers living on the mountain's
\nslopes and three people from the forestry office, had been trying
\nto put the fire out using wooden clubs.<\/p>\n
\"They just clobbered the burning bushes. That's all they could
\ndo. There is no spring water up there,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"So far, we have yet to be informed about the total area
\ndestroyed by the fire. We also don't know what caused the fire,\"
\nSudiman said.<\/p>\n
In 1982, around 120 hectares of forest on the mountain was
\ndestroyed by fire.<\/p>\n
Another fire engulfed Mt. Slamet in September 1995, destroying
\nat least 152 hectares of forest area. As many as 22 people were
\ntrapped in the fire for 48 hours before rescuers could save them.
\n(45\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/10-feared-trapped-in-mt-slamet-fire-1447893297",
"image": ""
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