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Karanganyar, Central Java. A major tragedy was averted on Monday evening, with all but two of a group of 125 inexperienced mountain climbers making it off the treacherous Mount Lawu alive.

Emergency services at the scene of the major rescue operation told the Jakarta Globe that the deceased had been identified as Jumain, 32, from Demak and Muji Rohman, 18, from Blora. Both victims had been part of a 125-strong party from the Condro Mowo Muslim boarding school in Blora, Central Java, who early on Saturday began climbing the 3,265-meter-tall mountain to celebrate Javanese New Year.

An additional six climbers had gone missing in the same area as the deceased, but they were found alive and evacuated from the mountain.

Aji Pratama Heru Kristanto, head of the natural disaster mitigation task force based in Karanganyar, said reports about the deceased climbers came in on Sunday evening. “Dozens of climbers are also in a weak condition. But the rescue team could only leave at dawn on Monday because of the harsh weather,” Aji said.

The remainder of the group, many likely suffering from hypothermia, had been evacuated by early Monday evening. Conditions near the peak were described as being just 4 degrees Celsius, with heavy winds and rain.

The inexperienced and ill-prepared group were reportedly taking a forbidden and unmonitored route in their attempt to reach the summit of the mountain, approaching from Ngawi in East Java.

The party had split into three groups that were scheduled to meet up in Argo Dalem, a sacred site some 200 meters from the peak, to perform traditional Javanese New Year rites there.

“We dispatched hundreds of personnel to comb the Argo Dalem area, at a height of 3,000 [meters] above sea level to search for the lost climbers and evacuate the two dead climbers,” Aji said.

The task force included an evacuation team, searchers, miners, and health and logistics personnel. They were also backed up by volunteers from the Anak Gunung Lawu search-and-rescue team as well as the local police.

Adj. Chief Comr. Edi Suroso, head of the Karanganyar Police, said the number of climbers on the mountain always increased markedly during the Islamic month of Muharram or the Javanese month of Suro. The top of Mount Lawu is considered to be very sacred according to traditional Javanese beliefs.

“Besides in Argo Dalem, victim evacuation was also conducted in the Bulak Peperangan area. There was also another group which planned to hold a ritual at the top of the mountain.”

The climbers are usually ill-prepared logistically, and many climb the mountain while fasting as part of the Javanese rituals. The climb to the top usually takes between five and six hours.