Mount Dukono erupted on Friday morning on Indonesia’s eastern Halmahera island. The sudden blast sent a massive column of volcanic ash 10 kilometers into the sky. Three hikers are dead. At least 10 others remain missing or trapped on the mountain. The tragedy stems from a direct violation of safety protocols.
Local police chief Erlichson Pasaribu confirmed two foreign nationals and one local resident from Ternate island died in the explosion. Singaporean nationals are reportedly among the missing group. Authorities mobilized immediately. Emergency crews launched active search and rescue operations for the trapped climbers. Navigation is extremely difficult due to the ongoing ash fallout and severe terrain.
The hikers bypassed strict safety perimeters. Authorities declared the disaster zone off-limits to visitors last month. The North Maluku province volcano poses severe threats. Mount Dukono is one of the most relentlessly active volcanoes on Earth. It has remained in a state of nearly continuous Strombolian eruption since August 1933. The region remains highly unstable.
Emergency rescue authorities ordered all local residents to stay outside a 4-kilometer radius of the active crater. Officials warned that heavy rainfall on the ash-covered slopes will trigger dangerous volcanic mudflows. Search and rescue teams are racing against the weather to extract the remaining hikers from the mountain.