REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDA ACEH -- The Indonesian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the government has identified the location of the three missing Indonesian climbers on Mount Everest after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake jolted Nepal last Saturday.

Director of People's Protection and Indonesian Law Agency of the Foreign Affairs Ministry Lalu Muhammad Iqbal stated the government has detected the location of the climbers after communicating with the other surviving climbers.

"We communicated with the 'Sherpas' whether they had seen the three Indonesian climbers or not, and then we conducted the search," Lalu noted during a telephonic interview from Banda Aceh on early Thursday.

According to the Indonesian government, there are three Indonesian climbers: Jeron, Alma, and Kadek who joined the climbing group, Taruna Hiking Club.

Iqbal said the Indonesian Consulate in Nepal is trying to collect further information and establish contact with the three climbers.

The director remarked that the location of the three climbers is hard to reach using land transportation. The local people stated that the rescue effort can only be carried out using a helicopter.

"We have coordinated with the Nepal Tourism Ministry, as the authority in charge of climbing expeditions on Mount Everest, and they have confirmed to provide a helicopter to support the evacuation efforts. However, we have to wait because there are many parties asking for the same support," Iqbal revealed.

According to data provided by the directorate, there are 95 Indonesian citizens in Nepal of which 30 are residing there and 65 are visiting the nation.

Of the 65 visitors, the Indonesian government has managed to contact 42 people who are in good condition, 13 have departed from Nepal, while ten others are still incommunicado.

Meanwhile, of the 30 Indonesians residing in Nepal, the government contacted 23 people who confirmed to be in good condition while contact has yet to be established with the 7 others.

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