Tourists trapped on erupting Indonesian volcano

SEMBALUM , Indonesia, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Authorities evacuated more than 1,000 people from Indonesia's Mount Rinjani after a sub-volcano began erupting, but about 250 tourists were left trapped on the volcano, local officials said.

Mount Barujari, a sub-volcano within the 12,224-foot high Mount Rinjani on Indonesia's North Lombok island, spewed ash up to 6,500 feet in the air Tuesday, prompting an evacuation.

Rescuers initially sought 389 tourists, 333 of them foreigners, who registered to climb the mountain on Sunday, the National Disaster Management Authority said. Many were located and escorted down the mountain, and no injuries were reported, but about 250 were unaccounted for.

The tourists were recorded as passing through the Rinjani trekking entrance of the mountain in Sembalun between Sunday and Tuesday, indicating many people remain on the trails. A three-day trek is typical when visiting the mountain.

Indonesian officials have not released data regarding the nationalities of those unaccounted for, and the U.S. embassy in Jakarta reported it was unaware if any of the tourists are American.