Four climbers missing

PADANG (JP): Rescue workers are still searching for four climbers declared missing on Wednesday while climbing the Merapi mountain in Padangpanjang, 70 kilometers from Padang, West Sumatra.

On Wednesday, three climbers, Ramadhan, Indra and Yeni were found with bruises and weak from lack of food. Ramadhan said the seven had met at the slope of Merapi on Sunday evening and the group had split up on the way down to the Pariangan village.

"We should have gathered again the next day in the village," Ramadhan said. Police said they should not have ascended Merapi as it was closed to climbers. In 1996 three climbers went missing on Merapi. The four missing climbers were Weni Marsal, Afrizal, both students at the Bung Hatta University; Dasmawardi of STTP college and Famarianto of the Karya technical high school. (28)