Three hikers, including two foreign nationals, have died and 10 others remain missing after Mount Dukono erupted on Friday, sending a massive ash cloud nearly 10 kilometres into the sky.
The eruption occurred on Halmahera Island in eastern Indonesia, where rescue teams continue searching for survivors amid dangerous terrain and ongoing volcanic activity.
North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu confirmed that the victims included two foreign hikers and one resident from Ternate.
Authorities said seven hikers managed to descend safely, while five others sustained injuries during the eruption.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency said joint rescue teams from disaster management and search-and-rescue agencies were continuing evacuation efforts as volcanic activity intensified.
Officials described conditions on the mountain as extremely difficult, with rescue crews forced to carry victims by stretcher across rugged terrain while tremors and rumbling from the volcano continued.
Head of the government Geology Agency Lana Saria said the eruption was accompanied by a loud explosion and a thick column of smoke rising approximately 10 kilometres above the volcano.
She warned that ash clouds drifting northwards could affect nearby residential areas and the city of Tobelo, posing health risks and potentially disrupting transport services.
Mount Dukono is currently on Level Two of Indonesia’s four-tier volcano alert system. Since December, authorities have prohibited tourists and climbers from entering within four kilometres of the volcano’s Malupang Warirang Crater due to heightened volcanic activity.
Police said warning signs and public advisories had been ignored by some hikers, many of whom were believed to be tourists seeking social media content.
Indonesia lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes due to intense tectonic activity. The country is home to nearly 130 active volcanoes.