Climbers Seeking to Watch Eclipse from Mountain Top Went Missing
9 March 2016 06:24 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two climbers planning to watch the solar eclipse are reported missing while climbing Mount Bawakaraeng in Tinggimoncong district, South Sulawesi.
The two men, 30 years old Nurdin and 23 years old Andi Bayu Al Gazali from Makassar, are reported to have been missing since Sunday, March 6, 2016.
Adjunct Commissioner Mustakim, chief of the Tinggimoncong Sector Police, confirmed the news. He said that the two climbers had planned to watch the solar eclipse from the top of Mount Bawakaraeng.
Mustakim said that the police and the search and rescue teams are working together to find the missing climbers.
"Both of them went missing last week," said Mustakim when contacted on Tuesday, March 8, 2016.
Nurdin and Andi left Makassar on Friday. They rode a motorcycle to the foot of Mount Bawakaraeng.
According to reports, the local district chief had told them not to climb the mountain. But the climbers insisted and carried on with their hike to the mountain top.
A partial solar eclipse will be visible from Makassar starting from 07:25 am local time. The eclipse is expected to at around 9:54 am. The peak of the partial solar eclipse is estimated to happen at 8:35 am, lasting for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
AWANG DARMAWAN