Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesian authorities have temporarily closed the popular hiking route from Pelawangan Sembalun to Segara Anak Lake on Mount Rinjani following two separate accidents involving foreign tourists.
“We’ve observed several incidents along the Pelawangan Sembalun trail leading to Segara Anak Lake. Starting tomorrow, we plan to begin repair and safety work to prevent further accidents,” said Yarman, Head of the Mount Rinjani National Park Authority (TNGR), as reported by detikBali on Thursday, July 17, 2025.
The closure is aimed at improving the trail’s safety conditions. “The path is quite extreme, and if people aren’t careful, it can be very dangerous,” Yarman added.
The TNGR is currently assessing the site to determine what improvements are needed. “Our team is working on identifying what safety measures should be added, whether ropes or other infrastructure,” he said.
The closure took effect on July 16 and will remain in place until further notice. In addition to the trail closure, the park has also suspended ticket bookings through the official eRinjani app. Visitors who have already purchased tickets may still hike to Mount Rinjani’s summit, but new bookings have been halted indefinitely.
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The closure was due to a recent incident involved Sarah Tamar van Hulten, a Dutch tourist who fell around 1:00 p.m. local time on July 17 at the route from Pelawangan Sembalun to Segara Anak. “The victim reported a fall and requested evacuation,” confirmed Hariyadi, an official involved in the rescue operation.
Van Hulten had registered to begin her trek via the Sembalun route on July 16, with plans to descend to the lake the following day. She survived the fall and was airlifted to safety by a Basarnas rescue helicopter.
Just one day prior, a Swiss national, Benedikt Emmenegger, fell on the same trail. The incident occurred around 12:20 p.m. on July 16. Emmenegger reportedly fell from an elevation of 2,693 meters above sea level, tumbling approximately 375 meters to a lower point at 2,318 meters. He had started his hike from the Sembalun trail on July 15 and was descending on July 16 when the accident occurred.
Though both victims were survived and able to be rescued safely, the authorities has decided to temporarily closes the trail to prevent another victims and to further improve the safety of the trail at Mount Rinjani.
(Raidi/Agung)
