Two missing hikers killed during the eruption of a volcano on a remote Indonesian island were found huddled together by rescuers. The bodies of Singaporean nationals Heng Wen Qiang Timothy, 30, and Shahin Muhrez bin Abdul Hamid, 27, were retrieved on Sunday from Mount Dukono on the island of Halmahera.
The pair were discovered buried under rock debris around the crater rim, local rescue agency chief Iwan Ramdani said. On Sunday, rescuers retrieved the men's remains in what they described as a difficult operation due to extreme terrain and rainfall. The evacuation, which involved around 150 personnel armed with two thermal drones, was also hampered by persistent eruptions, Mr Ramdani added.
A group of around 20 hikers reportedly ignored social media appeals and warning signs posted at the entrance to the trail to Mount Dukono to stay away, police chief Erlichson Pasarib said. Seventeen of the walkers, including seven Singaporeans and 10 Indonesians, survived the incident.
Friday's eruption killed three people: the two Singaporean nationals and an Indonesian woman, identified by officials only as Enjel, whose death was confirmed on Saturday. Mount Dukono, in North Maluku province bordering the Pacific Ocean, began erupting on May 8. Pictures from Friday show gigantic plumes of volcanic ash, water vapour and gases billowing into the sky as high as 10 km.
In footage from the eruption, the person filming can be heard telling other hikers, 'The rocks are coming...oh, it's killed them.' The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation has long banned activities within a 2.5-mile radius of Dukono's crater, citing hazards such as volcanic bombs, ashfall and toxic gases.
Lana Saria, head of the government Geology Agency, said the early-morning eruption was accompanied by a 'booming sound' and a thick smoke column rising some 10 km. Indonesia's volcanology agency reported at least four eruptions as of Sunday, with one sending ash 1.3 km high. The agency is maintaining its third-highest alert level for Mount Dukono and has banned any activities within 4 km (2.5 miles) of the crater. Officials believe the hikers were inside the restricted zone at the time of the eruption.
Authorities are discussing a 'possible negligence by tourism operators or individuals' who proceeded with climbing the volcano despite an official closure of the hiking area, according to a statement from Barsarnas, Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency. 'The government is continuing to gather information to establish a complete account of the incident,' the statement said. It added that Indonesia's tourism ministry has issued a letter closing the Mount Dukono hiking area out of safety concerns for visitors and local communities.
Meanwhile, those who accompanied the hikers up the mountain will be questioned by police, Erlichson said. The bodies of the two Singaporean men were due to undergo an autopsy in a local hospital on Sunday. The seven surviving Singaporeans will fly home on Sunday, Singapore's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
