Mount Dukono erupts: Indonesia says 3 hikers killed, 3 others missing as volcano spews ash 10 km into sky

THE Indonesian authorities on Friday evening halted the search operation for the three missing hikers who were reportedly trapped by the continuing volcanic eruption of Mount Dukono on Halmahera Island, Reuters reported.

Iwan Ramdani, the head of the local rescue agency, said, "The search has been temporarily closed today and will resume tomorrow, not because we don't want to search at night, but because Mount Dukono will continue to erupt." The three hikers still missing were identified as two Singaporeans and one Indonesian.

Here's what happened

According to a CNN report, nine foreigners and 11 local hikers were climbing Mount Dukono at the time of the eruption, North Halmahera Police Chief Erlichson Pasaribu told Indonesia’s Kompas TV.

At least three people were reported killed, and more than a dozen hikers were stranded near the crater of Mount Dukono following the eruption. According to the island’s police chief and search and rescue officials, those killed included two Singapore nationals and one Indonesian citizen after the volcano on Halmahera island in North Maluku province erupted.

However, the rescue agency has yet to confirm the deaths. According to Pasaribu, the bodies of the three deceased remain on the mountain.

Indonesian authorities rescue 17 people

So far, authorities have evacuated 17 people, including seven Singapore nationals and 10 Indonesian citizens. Located in North Maluku province, Mount Dukono erupted on Friday at 07:41 AM local time, spewing volcanic ash as high as 10 km into the sky, the country's volcanology agency said.

Footage shot by a witness showed hikers scrambling down the mountain, with a huge plume of smoke and ash rising into the sky behind them.

A tour guide can be heard saying, in English: "Oh, I hope they're alive. Dukono is always dangerous. When it's really quiet, it means a big eruption is coming."

Alert status at third-highest level

In a statement, volcanology agency head Lana Saria said authorities have maintained the alert status at its third-highest level. Footage released by the agency also showed a huge cloud of hot ash erupting from the crater and covering the slopes of the volcano.

The volcanology agency also warned of the risk of volcanic mudflows during rainfall.

Volcanic activity at Mount Dukono decreased last year but picked up again at the end of March, with nearly 200 small-scale eruptions recorded.

Climbing on Mount Dukono banned since 2024

According to Pasaribu, climbing Mount Dukono has been banned since an earlier eruption in 2024. Noting the lack of climbing restrictions in place, Alex Djangu, an Indonesian mountain guide, told CNN, “At Dukono, there is no security post controlling entry or exit routes, and of course, there are no forest police preventing people from climbing.”

In an update posted Friday evening, the country's disaster agency asked tourists and locals not to carry out activities on Mount Dukono while volcanic activity remained elevated, adding that people should always follow instructions from local authorities and the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG).

Since December 2024, PVMBG has warned tourists and other climbers not to take part in activities within a four-kilometre radius of Mount Dukono's crater.

There are currently no reports of flight disruptions caused by the eruption.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an area of high seismic activity atop multiple tectonic plates.

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