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joint search and rescue team has begun the evacuation process to lead hundreds of hikers, including more than 100 foreign nationals, to descend Mount Rinjani in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, safely after a powerful earthquake struck the island, triggering landslides on Sunday morning.

West Nusa Tenggara Governor Zainul Majdi has declared a state of emergency on the island until Aug. 2, following the earthquake, which killed at least 16 people.

More than 184 members of the joint rescue team, comprising personnel of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the National Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI), the Mount Rinjani National Park Agency as well as medics and volunteers, departed from Sembalun at 7 a.m. on Monday morning, focusing on two locations on Mt. Rinjani where most of the climbers were located: Sembalun trek KM 10 and the Batu Ceper area.

A total of 140 of the Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) personnel have been flown from its headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta, to Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, while 15 personnel of the neighboring Denpasar Search and Rescue Agency left their post to join the rescue team on the ground.

According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNBP), 637 foreign nationals and 192 Indonesians ascended Mt. Rinjani, the country’s second-tallest volcano, on Friday and Saturday. The real figure could be even higher as those who ascended earlier might still be camping there. The latest compiled data indicated that there were over 1,000 hikers on the volcano when the earthquake struck.

By Sunday evening, around 680 hikers, including 358 foreign nationals, left higher posts on the volcano and reached Sembalun village, an entry point to Mt. Rinjani. The remaining began descending on Monday and had reached lower posts on the Sembalun trek.

“[We believe] around 500 are still up there,” Mt. Rinjani National Park (TNGR) head Sudiono told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Major hiking trails were believed to have been impassable after landslides, while authorities pledged to deploy helicopters, if weather permitted, to evacuate hikers who cannot descend on foot, including six hikers who stayed around Segara Anak Lake and suffered from trauma.

The rescue operation has been very challenging for the joint team. According to authorities, 280 aftershocks have occurred since the first earthquake.

The rescue team, however, was upbeat that the operation would be completed within two days.

“Assuming the weather is good, we may finish the operation by tomorrow afternoon,” Wirabhakti Mataram commander Col. Ahmad Ramdhani said on Monday.

Around 1,000 hikers ascend Mt. Rinjani, which stands 3,762 meters above sea level, via the two main entry points, Sembalun and Senaru villages, every day. The figure excludes those who ascend the volcano unregistered via less popular routes.

“We have to tighten the regulation and improve the registration system,” BNPB spokesman Sutopo said, mainly responding to different accounts on the number of hikers circulating in mainstream media.

Meanwhile, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who was touring Sumbawa for a working visit, instructed authorities to distribute aid effectively to local residents.

The President has also instructed the BNPB and the Public Works and Housing Ministry to distribute Rp 50 million (US$3,470) to each family whose house was destroyed.

Sunday’s earthquake has injured 355 people across Lombok island, destroyed at least 1,454 houses and forced 5,141 people to evacuate.

Ni Komang Erviani in Denpasar contributed to the story