Indonesian authorities on Friday evening called off a search operation for three missing tourists believed to be trapped by the ongoing eruption of Mount Dukono on Halmahera island, Reuters reported.
Iwan Ramdani, head of the local rescue agency, said: “The search has been temporarily closed today and will resume tomorrow, not because we don’t want to search at night, but because Mount Dukono will continue to erupt.” The three tourists still missing have been identified as two Singaporeans and one Indonesian.
Read also | Tourists rush to escape eruption of Guatemala’s ‘most dangerous’ volcano – Video
Here is what happened
According to a CNN report, nine foreigners and 11 local tourists were climbing Mount Dukono at the time of the eruption, North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu told Indonesia’s Kompas TV.
At least three people were reportedly killed and more than a dozen tourists were stranded near the crater of Mount Dukono after the eruption. Two Singaporeans and an Indonesian national were among the dead after a volcano erupted on Halmahera Island in North Maluku province, according to the island’s police chief and search and rescue officials.
However, the rescue agency has not yet confirmed the death. According to Pasarib, the bodies of the three deceased remain on the mountain.
Indonesian authorities rescued 17 people
Authorities have so far evacuated 17 people, including seven Singaporeans and 10 Indonesians. Mount Dukono, located in North Maluku province, erupted at 07:41 local time on Friday, spewing volcanic ash 10km into the sky, the volcanological agency there said.
Read also | WATCH: Japan Volcano Erupts – Sakurajima Sends Massive Ash Cloud 3,400m Skyward
Footage taken by a witness showed the hikers scrambling down the mountain, with a huge plume of smoke and ash rising into the sky behind them.
The guide can be heard saying in English, “Oh, I hope they’re alive. Dukono is always dangerous. When it’s really quiet, it means a big eruption is coming.”
Alert status at the third highest level
The head of the Volcanology Agency, Lana Saria, said in a statement that authorities were maintaining a state of alert at the third highest level. Footage released by the agency also showed a huge cloud of hot ash pouring out of the crater and covering the slopes of the volcano.
The volcanological agency also warned of the risk of volcanic mud during the rains.
Volcanic activity on Mount Dukono decreased last year but picked up again in late March, with nearly 200 small eruptions recorded.
Ascent to Mount Dukono is prohibited from 2024
According to Pasarib, climbing Mount Dukono has been prohibited since an earlier eruption in 2024. Alex Djangu, an Indonesian mountain guide, told CNN: “There is no security post on Dukono to check the entry or exit routes, and of course there are no forest police to prevent people from climbing.”
In an update released Friday evening, the country’s disaster agency asked tourists and local residents not to carry out activities on Mount Dukono while volcanic activity remains elevated, adding that people should always follow the instructions of local authorities and the Center for Volcanology and Geological Risk Mitigation (PVMBG).
Read also | Ethiopia Volcano Eruption: Delhi, Northern India Still Under Threat? IMD stock updates
As of December 2024, the PVMBG is warning hikers and other climbers not to participate in activities within a four kilometer radius of the Mount Dukono crater.
There are currently no reports of flight disruptions caused by the eruption.
Indonesia lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area of high seismic activity at the top of several tectonic plates.
