Halmahera Island: Indonesian rescue teams continued their urgent search and evacuation efforts on Friday after a powerful eruption of Mount Dukono trapped a group of hikers on Halmahera Island in North Maluku province. Authorities said the eruption sent a massive cloud of ash high into the sky and created dangerous conditions around one of the country’s most active volcanoes.
The eruption took place early Friday morning at around 7:41 a.m. local time. Indonesia’s geological agency said the volcano released a thick column of grey ash reaching nearly 10 kilometres above the crater. Residents in nearby villages reported hearing loud explosions before ash spread across the surrounding area.
Emergency officials said about 20 hikers were caught in the mountain region when the eruption happened. The group included Indonesian citizens and several foreign visitors, including hikers believed to be from Singapore. Rescue teams made up of disaster response officers, police personnel, military members and local volunteers were quickly sent to the site after reports emerged that climbers were stranded.
As the rescue operation continued through the day, local authorities confirmed that several hikers had been safely evacuated from the mountain slopes. However, officials also said some people were still missing and search operations remained difficult because of heavy ashfall, poor visibility and unstable ground conditions.
Regional media reports later stated that at least three people had died during the incident, including two foreign hikers and one Indonesian. Indonesian authorities have not yet released full details about the victims as rescue efforts are still underway and identification procedures continue.
Mount Dukono is located on Halmahera Island in eastern Indonesia and is known as one of the country’s most active volcanoes. The volcano has been erupting frequently for decades and has remained active almost continuously since 1933. Indonesian authorities had already placed the volcano at the third highest level in the national alert system because of increased volcanic activity in recent months.
Officials had repeatedly warned tourists and local residents to avoid entering the restricted zone around the crater. The geology agency advised people to stay at least four kilometres away from the summit area due to the risk of sudden eruptions, ash clouds and falling volcanic material.
Despite the warnings, hiking and trekking activities continued around parts of the mountain that attract adventure tourists and climbers. Authorities are now investigating how the hikers entered the dangerous zone and whether safety regulations had been followed before the climb.
Rescue workers said volcanic ash has created serious challenges during the operation. Thick dust in the air has reduced visibility, while unstable volcanic rocks and the possibility of further eruptions have increased the risk for emergency teams. Medical personnel were also deployed to assist rescued hikers suffering from breathing difficulties, exhaustion and minor injuries caused by ash exposure.
Local residents living near the volcano were advised to remain indoors whenever possible and wear face masks to protect themselves from ash particles. Schools in some nearby communities were temporarily closed as ash continued to fall across parts of North Maluku province.
There were no immediate reports of major airport closures or widespread flight cancellations by Friday evening, though aviation authorities said they were closely monitoring the movement of volcanic ash clouds.
Indonesia frequently experiences volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because the country lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for intense seismic activity. The nation has more than 120 active volcanoes, many of which are closely monitored by authorities throughout the year.
Search and rescue operations around Mount Dukono are expected to continue overnight as emergency teams work to locate the remaining missing hikers and move survivors to safer areas.