Where is Mount Dukono? 3 hikers dead as volcano hurls ash 10km into sky in terrifying Indonesia eruption

Three hikers, two from Singapore and one Indonesian national, died after an eruption at Mount Dukono on Friday, after entering a restricted no-go zone near the crater, Indonesian officials said. Mount Dukono, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, erupted at 7.41am local time on Halmahera island in North Maluku province, sending a massive ash column nearly 10 kilometres into the sky. Indonesia’s volcanology agency said the eruption was accompanied by a powerful booming sound and thick grey ash clouds visible across nearby districts. The eruption triggered an urgent rescue operation after around 20 hikers were reported stranded near the volcano, prompting the deployment of rescue teams, police officers and disaster personnel to the area.

Mount Dukono is located on Halmahera, the largest island in Indonesia’s Maluku archipelago in the country’s east. The volcano sits within North Maluku province, a remote region known for its rugged volcanic landscape and dense tropical forests. Halmahera lies between Sulawesi and Papua and forms part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most seismically active regions. Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes, more than any other country, because of its position along major tectonic plate boundaries.

Mount Dukono has been erupting almost continuously since 1933 and is regarded as one of the country’s most persistently active volcanoes. It frequently releases volcanic ash and sulphur dioxide, often affecting nearby communities and air quality. Indonesia’s geology agency had already restricted access to a four-kilometre radius around the crater on 17 April after signs of increased activity were detected. Despite those warnings, the hikers are believed to have entered the prohibited area before Friday’s eruption. According to AFP, the twenty hikers were on the slopes when disaster struck and "To date, 15 climbers have safely descended," Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu said several hours after the early-morning eruption.

Local rescue chief Iwan Ramdani told Reuters that nine of the hikers were from Singapore while the others were Indonesian nationals. Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency said rescue crews were working through steep and hazardous terrain, with some hikers expected to require stretcher evacuation because of ash-covered routes and difficult conditions near the volcano.

Officials warned residents and tourists to avoid all activity within 4 ​km (2.5 ⁠miles) of the crater because of the risk of further eruptions and falling volcanic material. Authorities also cautioned that heavy rainfall could trigger dangerous mudflows carrying ash and debris down the slopes. The ash cloud was drifting north towards populated areas, including Tobelo City, raising concerns about volcanic ash rain and possible disruption to daily life. The volcano remains at the third-highest level on Indonesia’s four-tier alert system as search operations continue.