Indonesia temporarily closes Mt. Rinjani hiking trail via Sembalun

JAKARTA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's Mount Rinjani National Park authority has temporarily closed the hiking trail via Pelawangan Sembalun leading to Segara Anak Lake on Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara.

Through its official social media account, the authority said that the temporary closure was due to repairs on the trail at coordinates -8.389789, 116.440320, the site of recent accidents involving foreign hikers.

"Visitor safety is our priority," the park authority said on Friday.

The closure also aims to improve eco-tourism facilities and strengthen sustainable management of the conservation area in Mount Rinjani National Park, it added.

Alternative routes currently available to hikers include Senaru - Pelawangan Senaru - Lake - Torean, and Sembalun - Pelawangan Sembalun - Summit.

The closure has been in effect since Wednesday, until further notice. Enditem