A surge in participants for the Red and White flag-raising ceremony\nat the summit of Mount Bawakaraeng in Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi, has\ntriggered a safety alert. As of Tuesday (18\/8\/2026), the Red and White\nSAR Standby Team reported handling 31 climbers who experienced acute\nhealth problems amid extreme weather conditions.<\/p>\n
The climbers\u2019 conditions were dominated by symptoms of hypothermia\ndue to air temperatures reaching freezing point. In addition, the\nmedical team also treated participants suffering from asthma attacks,\nsevere exhaustion, and physical injuries. The figure of 31 people is\nrecorded as the highest number of health disturbances throughout this\nyear\u2019s standby period.<\/p>\n
As of Tuesday morning, teams in the field were still struggling to\nevacuate one climber trapped on a steep path around Pos 7 Lembanna due\nto a severe knee injury. The rocky terrain and piercing cold\ntemperatures were the main challenges in the rescue process.<\/p>\n
Rescue Commander Darul explained that most of the victims were\nsuccessfully brought to the Bulubalea Post to receive intensive\ntreatment from the joint medical team. Some of them even had to be\nreferred to the Tinggi Moncong Community Health Centre for further\ntreatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe steep and rocky terrain conditions make the descent process\nslow. Officers must combine rope techniques and mutual cooperation,\nwhile continuing to monitor the condition of victims who are beginning\nto weaken due to pain and cold,\u201d said Darul.<\/p>\n
Based on registration data, the surge in cases is directly\nproportional to the overwhelming number of participants on four main\nroutes, namely Bulu Balea, Tassoso, Kanreapia, and Lembanna, with a\ntotal reaching 3,786 climbers.<\/p>\n
To anticipate further risks, a total of 295 joint personnel from\nBasarnas, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the National Police, and\nvolunteers were stationed at eight strategic points, including Lembah\nRamma and the summit of Bawakaraeng. In addition to evacuation, officers\nfocused on managing the flow of climbers returning to prevent congestion\non narrow paths that could potentially trigger new accidents.<\/p>\n
Head of the Makassar Class A Search and Rescue Office, Muhammad Arif\nAnwar, emphasised that the safety operation would continue until all\nclimbers were confirmed to have descended safely.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe understand the euphoria of the Independence Day commemoration,\nbut safety is the top priority. Our team remains on full alert until the\nfinal security deadline on 18 August 2026,\u201d concluded Arif Anwar.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/31-mount-bawakaraeng-climbers-evacuated-after-suffering-hypothermia-and-injuries-1787035860", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }