&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "3 dead in massive Mount Dukono eruption as ash blasts 10km into sky in Indonesia; scary video emerges | WATCH")
Three hikers, including two Singaporean nationals and one Indonesian citizen, were killed after Mount Dukono erupted on Friday morning on Indonesia’s Halmahera island. Authorities said the group had entered a prohibited zone near the crater despite official restrictions already being in place because of heightened volcanic activity.
The eruption sent a thick column of ash and smoke nearly 10 kilometres into the sky, triggering panic among climbers and prompting a large-scale rescue operation. North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu said 20 hikers were on the volcano when the eruption occurred. “To date, 15 climbers have safely descended,” he told reporters, according to AFP. Nine of the hikers were from Singapore while the remaining climbers were Indonesian nationals. Several survivors suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital for medical treatment after descending from the mountain. Mount Dukono erupted on Friday at 7:41am local time (1041 GMT Thursday), according to Indonesia’s volcanology agency.
Evacuation halted as volcano continues erupting
Officials said the bodies of the victims remained on the mountain because rescue crews were unable to safely reach the site while volcanic activity continued. “Due to ongoing eruptions, the situation is still considered unsafe for evacuation,” Erlichson said, adding that authorities were waiting for conditions to improve before continuing recovery efforts. The agency maintained the alert status at the mountain at its third highest level.
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Police also confirmed that the group’s guide and a porter had been detained for questioning and could face charges for taking hikers into the restricted area. Indonesia’s volcanology agency had banned public access within four kilometres of the crater since December after detecting increased seismic movement around the volcano.
Officials warn tourists against ignoring alerts
Authorities said warning boards and public advisories had been issued repeatedly before Friday’s eruption. According to AFP, Erlichson said many visitors ignored the restrictions in search of dramatic social media footage. “Many are foreign tourists who wish to create social media content,” he said.
Lana Saria, head of Indonesia’s Geology Agency, said the eruption produced a “booming sound” and pushed ash northwards towards nearby areas including Tobelo City. Indonesia, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, experiences frequent volcanic activity and is home to nearly 130 active volcanoes.
