Three hikers, including two Singaporean tourists and an Indonesian national, have died following an eruption of Mount Dukono in Indonesia on Friday.
The eruption occurred on Halmahera Island, sending a massive ash cloud about 10 kilometres into the atmosphere, according to local authorities.
Officials said about 20 hikers were on the volcano’s slopes when the eruption occurred, despite warnings restricting access to the area.
North Halmahera Police Chief, Erlichson Pasaribu, disclosed that nine of the hikers were from Singapore, while the remaining climbers were Indonesians.
As of Friday evening, rescue officials confirmed that 17 climbers, including seven foreigners, had been rescued alive.
Head of the local rescue agency, Iwan Ramdani, said rescue operations were temporarily suspended due to continued volcanic activity and would resume on Saturday.
A tour guide, Alex Djangu, who was present during the eruption, said he noticed unusual volcanic activity shortly before the disaster.
“This was the first time I had seen the volcano so quiet. I suspected pressure was building beneath the crater,” he said.
Djangu explained that there were two groups of tourists near the crater rim when the eruption began, adding that he initially feared all the hikers had died.
He, however, noted that he survived alongside two German tourists because they remained within a designated safe radius.
Authorities said some of the survivors sustained minor injuries and had been taken to hospital for treatment.
Police also disclosed that the group’s guide and a porter could face prosecution for allegedly taking hikers into a restricted zone around the volcano.
Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation had since December 2024 warned tourists and climbers to stay at least four kilometres away from the Malupang Warirang Crater following increased seismic activity.
Officials said many of the affected hikers ignored warning signs and public advisories restricting access to the mountain.
Head of Indonesia’s Geology Agency, Lana Saria, said the eruption was accompanied by loud explosions and thick volcanic ash spreading northward.
She warned that nearby communities and Tobelo City could experience volcanic ash rain capable of affecting public health and transportation services.
Indonesia, located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, is one of the world’s most volcanically active countries, with nearly 130 active volcanoes.
