Energy deputy minister evacuated from Mt. Tambora

Widjajono Partowidagdo: (Kompas/Hendra A. Setyawan)Energy and Natural Resources (ESDM) Deputy Minister Widjajono Partowidagdo was evacuated on Saturday after he reportedly suffered a heart attack while hiking Mount Tambora in West Nusa Tenggara.

Local village leader Hasan said that Widjajono reportedly fell unconscious before reaching the mountain peak and was evacuated by a team using a helicopter.

However, Hasan did not know where the helicopter had taken Widjajono.

A spokesman from the mining company Newmont, Ibrahim Ali Fauzi, confirmed that the company was asked to help evacuate the deputy minister, adding that bad weather had temporarily hampered the evacuation process, tempo.co reported.

Hasan said that Widjajono had been on a personal trip, therefore local authorities had not prepared anything for him.

Former West Nusa Tenggara Mining and Energy Agency official Heriyadi Rahmat said that Widjajono had also traveled to Mt. Tambora four years ago. (swd)