MATARAM, Indonesia: Fifty-eight of the 216 Thais evacuated from an Indonesian volcano after a deadly earthquake triggered landslides that trapped them on the mountain will return home on Tuesday, officials said.
Tonnes of rock and mud were dislodged on Mount Rinjani in the 6.4-magnitude quake, which struck early Sunday and was followed by scores of aftershocks, blocking the hiking routes that crisscross the mountain.
One Thai tourist, who reached the foot of the mountain Tuesday morning, felt the ground shake beneath her sleeping bag.
"I felt the earth move ...and thought 'Huh? What's happening?'" she said. "I got out of my bed and then I saw a landslide (with) rocks falling down."
A male friend said he watched parts of Rinjani's slopes collapse. "The whole mountain, rocks, fell down -- I was a bit afraid," he said.
The 216 Thais were among an estimated 560 stranded trekkers from countries including the United States, France, the Netherlands and Germany, search and rescue officials said.
Fifty-eight Thais will today depart from the Indonesian island of Lombok to Thailand by an AirAsia flight, according to an announcement by the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta on its Facebook page.
Thai ambassador to Indonesia Songphol Sukchan said on Tuesday 58 of 119 Thai travellers who stayed overnight at Lombok Raya Hotel would be returned to their home country on Tuesday while 24 others would as
Hikers were able to start descending the mountain Monday after guides discovered an alternate route that was unaffected by the landslides
well leave the island on Wednesday.
Flights operated by AirAsia would accommodate all Thai travellers from Indonesia to Thailand.
The 119 Thais stayed at the hotel from Sunday to Monday as their accommodation was not covered by their tour companies.
Mr Songphol said the embassy would also provide assistance for the remaining Thais who have been unable to reserve flights. His Majesty the King also conveyed his concerns to the Thai delegation as well as expressed his delight to acknowledge that all of them were safe, he added.
All were reported to be in good heath.
Mr Songphol said Jakarta has assisted the stranded tourists, with Indonesian President Joko Widodo administering the mission himself.
"543 hikers have been evacuated -- they arrived last night," national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told AFP.
"There are now six people left... They are all healthy and safe."
About 200 Thais became stranded around Lake Segara Anak on Sunday due to landslides, with more recorded visiting other parts of the national park that same day.
Some, like Supaporn Bangmoung and Nupa Waen, confirmed they had been safely extracted on Facebook.
Hikers were able to start descending the mountain Monday after guides discovered an alternate route that was unaffected by the landslides.
Most of the trekkers reached the base of the mountain by late Monday evening, according to I Gusti Lanang Wiswananda, a spokesman for Mataram search and rescue agency.
"They were all tired, but in good condition and were checked by our medical teams on the ground upon arrival," he told AFP.
Hundreds of other hikers managed to get off the mountain on Sunday, according to officials.
At least 16 people were killed in the earthquake across affected areas of Lombok, while hundreds of buildings were destroyed including a health clinic.
The quake created panic on the holiday island and sent locals and tourists running outside their homes and hotels.
Helicopters and search teams were deployed to scour the volcano's slopes and drop food supplies for those stranded on the mountain.