3 hikers dead after volcano eruption in Indonesia at Mount Dukono - BERITAJA

Three hikers person died pursuing an explosive eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Dukono volcano connected a distant island, authorities said Friday.

About 20 climbers group retired Thursday to ascend the about 1,355-metre (4,445-foot) volcano connected the land of Halmahera, successful defiance of information restrictions, North Halmahera constabulary Chief Erlichson Pasaribu told reporters astatine the volcano monitoring position successful Mamuya village, The Associated Press reports.

Rescue teams were deployed aft receiving an emergency awesome from the upland area, The Associated Press reports. Three men — 2 Singaporean and 1 Indonesian nationalist — died astatine the scene, Pasaribu said.

Their bodies person not yet been recovered owed to continued eruptions and vulnerable conditions.

“To date, 15 climbers person safely descended,” Pasaribu said respective hours aft the eruption. Five of those evacuated were reported injured.

Pasaribu added that 7 of the hikers who climbed down were Singaporean and the different 8 were Indonesian.

The hikers became stranded erstwhile Mount Dukono erupted astatine 7:41 a.m. section clip connected Friday, causing a ample booming sound and sending a heavy ash file that roseate 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) supra the summit, according to the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia.

“The hunt has been temporarily closed coming and will resume tomorrow, not because we don’t want to hunt astatine night, but because Mount Dukono will proceed to erupt,” Iwan Ramdani, the caput of the section rescue agency, told Reuters.

Mount Dukono saw a alteration successful activity successful August 2025 but has since recorded 199 eruptions since precocious March, averaging about 95 eruptions a day, according to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.

Hikers person been banned from climbing the volcano since April 17 aft authorities sent retired an alert owed to the progressive volcano, Pasaribu said. He added that he would beryllium questioning the hikers’ circuit guides about really the trek still went up contempt restrictions from authorities.

Officials judge the hikers were wrong a restricted area astatine the clip of the eruption.

Despite warnings connected signs astatine the site, “many group stay wished to climb, driven by the desire to create online content,” Pasaribu said.

Authorities propose “possible negligence by tourism operators aliases individuals,” Barsanas, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, told the BBC successful a statement.

“The authorities is continuing to stitchery accusation to found a complete relationship of the incident,” the connection said.

BERITAJA has reached retired to Barsanas for further comment, but has not received a response.

In cellphone footage captured by a witness, hikers are seen rushing down the upland arsenic a immense plume of fume and ash rises into the sky.

“I dream they’re still alive. Dukono is ever dangerous. When it’s really quiet, it intends a large eruption is coming,” personification could beryllium heard saying successful the video.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation is urging residents surviving adjacent Mount Dukono to stay vigilant.

Lana Saria, acting caput of the Geological Agency successful Indonesia, said residents are advised to “wear masks aliases rima and chemoreceptor coverings to forestall respiratory issues from volcanic ash.”

“The guidance of the ash distribution leans northward, truthful residential areas and Tobelo City request to beryllium vigilant for … volcanic ash rain,” she added.

Mount Dukono is 1 of Indonesia’s about progressive volcanoes and has been erupting almost continuously since 1933. Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area of aggravated seismic and volcanic activity, and is location to much than 120 progressive volcanoes.

Last June, a Brazilian tourer fell hundreds of feet adjacent an progressive volcano successful Indonesia. Juliana Marins, 26, was climbing Mount Rinjani pinch a group led by a circuit guideline erstwhile she slipped and fell disconnected a cliff connected the broadside of the upland adjacent Indonesia’s second-highest volcano connected June 21, 2025.

On June 24, pursuing a four-day search, Indonesian rescue workers were yet capable to scope Marins’ body.

“With awesome sadness, we pass you that she did not survive,” Marins’ family said in a connection connected societal media. “We stay very grateful for each the prayers, messages of affection and support that we person received.”

Brazil’s authorities besides confirmed that Marins was recovered dead, pursuing days of rescue efforts that were hampered by challenging upwind conditions.

—With files from The Associated Press and Reuters