Two Australian citizens were questioned after they attempted to hike up Mount Agung in Bali on Thursday.
Two Australian citizens were questioned after they attempted to hike up Mount Agung in Bali on Thursday.
Ricky Tonacia, 34, and Jack Dennaro, 26, were stopped by authorities when they started to hike the rumbling volcano despite warnings.
“My intention was to see the top of the volcano,” Tonacia said in a statement.
Karangasem Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Wayan Gede Ardana said the Australian men had started to climb the mountain at 1 a.m. local time.
They had traveled to Karangasem from Canggu, in South Bali. It was reported that their driver had warned them.
“They knew people had been banned from hiking the volcano. But they insisted on doing so,” Ardana said.
He further said that they were caught when their driver and guide picked them up at around 10 a.m. “We only interrogated them and warned them not to do it again,” Ardana said.
Both men were questioned for about an hour and then released.
“They failed to reach the summit. At the halfway point, they decided to go back down because of bad weather. They were not able to see anything because of thick fog," said Gede Pawana, chairman of Pasebaya, a community comprising leaders of 28 villages dedicated to Mt. Agung mitigation works. (ebf)
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