JAKARTA: At least three hikers, including two foreign nationals, were killed and 10 others remained missing after Mount Dukono erupted on Friday, sending a massive ash cloud nearly 10 kilometres into the sky, Indonesian authorities confirmed.
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According to North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu, seven hikers managed to descend safely from the volcano, while rescue teams continued searching for those still trapped in the dangerous mountain area.
“There are three dead, two foreigners and one resident of Ternate,” Pasaribu told local broadcaster Kompas TV.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, BNPB, said at least five climbers were also injured during the eruption.
Rescue operations are being jointly carried out by regional disaster authorities and Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency amid difficult conditions and ongoing volcanic activity.
Officials said the evacuation process has been severely hampered by rough terrain and continuing eruptions.
“The rest of the way the victims need to be carried on stretchers, and there is still rumbling from the eruption,” Pasaribu said, adding that the unstable conditions were slowing rescue efforts.
The eruption occurred early Friday morning and was accompanied by loud explosive sounds and thick volcanic smoke rising high above the crater, according to Lana Saria.
Authorities warned that volcanic ash could threaten public health and disrupt transportation in nearby residential areas, including Tobelo City.
Indonesia’s geology agency said tourists and climbers had already been banned from entering areas within four kilometres of the volcano’s crater since December due to increasing volcanic activity.
Despite repeated warnings, officials said some hikers ignored restrictions and entered the danger zone, reportedly seeking dramatic social media content.
“Local residents understand and don’t want to climb. Many hikers are foreign tourists who wish to create social media content,” Pasaribu said.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most seismically active regions, where tectonic plate movements frequently trigger earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The country is home to nearly 130 active volcanoes, making volcanic disasters a recurring threat across the archipelago nation.
