Three hikers, including two Singaporeans and one Indonesian, have died after Indonesia's Mount Dukono volcano erupted on Halmahera island, officials confirmed. The eruption sent an ash cloud approximately 10 kilometres into the air, but no towns or villages were immediately threatened.
Twenty hikers were on the slopes when the volcano erupted early on Friday, according to North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu. Nine of the group were from Singapore. “To date, 15 climbers have safely descended,” he said, adding that the bodies of the three deceased remained on the mountain due to ongoing unsafe conditions.
The remaining two hikers are unaccounted for, and rescue teams are awaiting a safe moment to begin the search. Some survivors sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital. The group’s guide and a porter have been detained and could face criminal charges for leading hikers into a prohibited zone.
Since December, Indonesia’s volcanology centre has warned tourists to stay at least four kilometres from the Malupang Warirang crater due to increased seismic activity. Pasaribu said the hikers ignored social media appeals and warning signs. “Local residents understand and don’t want to climb. Many [hikers] are foreign tourists who wish to create content,” he remarked.
Lana Saria, head of the government geology agency, reported that the eruption produced a booming sound and a column of ash reaching 10 kilometres high. She warned that ash drifting north could affect residential areas and Tobelo city, posing health risks and disrupting transport. Mount Dukono currently sits at level 2 on Indonesia’s four-tier alert system.
