Three hikers, including two Singaporeans and one Indonesian, have died after Indonesia's Mount Dukono volcano erupted, officials confirmed. The victims were in a restricted no-go zone when the eruption occurred early Friday on Halmahera island.
The eruption sent an ash cloud approximately 10 kilometres into the air, though no nearby towns or villages were immediately threatened. North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu reported that 20 hikers were on the slopes at the time, nine from Singapore and the rest Indonesian. Fifteen have safely descended, with some suffering minor injuries and receiving hospital treatment.
The bodies of the deceased remain on the mountain due to ongoing eruptions making evacuation unsafe. The remaining two hikers are unaccounted for. Police are waiting for conditions to improve before launching a search. The group's guide and porter have been detained and may face criminal charges for leading hikers into a prohibited area.
Since December, Indonesia's volcanology centre had warned against approaching within 4 kilometres of the Malupang Warirang crater due to increased seismic activity. Pasaribu stated that hikers ignored social media appeals and warning signs, noting that many foreign tourists sought to create content. He urged hikers to stay away and announced strict monitoring of access points while the volcano remains at alert level 2.
