UPDATE 1 - Weather hampering evacuation of Deputy Minister Widjajono

By Godang Sitompul

Deputy Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Widjajono Partowidagdo was still unconscious this early afternoon. He collapsed into critical condition early in the day as he was hiking Mt Tambora on the island of Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara.

Initial plan to evacuate the deputy minister with a helicopter could not be undertaken due to thick fog. The option now is to take him with a car to lower area from the hilly side of the mountain.

?I have given an instruction to evacuate the deputy minister with Jeep type vehicle from Third Post down to Second Post. He is still in critical condition or unconscious,? Head of the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation at the energy ministry, Surono, said in a text message to the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik, which was also forwarded to Petromindo.Com.

Surono later said he had instructed an SOS team to move further down to the First Post, which is close to road. He also instructed the emergency team to transfer the helicopter to the First Post to pick up the Deputy Minister.

Surono said they are continuing trying their best to provide emergency medical treatment to Widjajono.

Editing by Roffie Kurniawan