SAR team uses drone to search Russian climber missing in Mount Rinjani

Mataram, W Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) - The Mataram SAR Team has been using a thermal drone to search for a foreign national from Russia, Mordovina Alexandra, who went missing while illegally climbing Mount Rinjani.

"Since Friday (Sept 13), we have been searching the Senaru (climbing) route," head of Mataram SAR Team, Wahyu, said here on Sunday.

"There are two points that are monitored from the air, around Puncak Sangkareang and Lembah Santong," he added.

After checking several suspected locations, he continued, No signs of the victim have been found.

So far, the search continues to be carried out by the Mount Rinjani National Park Office, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and the Indonesia National Police (Polri), with additional help from the porters and the victim's colleagues.

"The victim has not been at her accommodation in Senaru, North Lombok, since August 30, 2024, and is suspected of having gone missing while climbing," Wahyu explained.

Alexandra was estimated to have climbed the mountain on August 30, 2024, at around 04.00 in the morning because she had told her friends via WhatsApp that she was climbing.

With the formation of the joint SAR team, the 44-year-old Russian female is expected to be found immediately.

If within four days she has not been found, the team will conduct an evaluation, coordination, and communication with related stakeholders to determine the next step to search for the missing Russian citizen.