Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia awoke today to another volcanic tragedy, with police confirming that three people were killed and ten others missing after a sudden and violent eruption of Mount Dukuno volcano on Halmahera Island in the east of the country.
This disaster occurred while dozens of hikers and adventurers were in the vicinity of the active volcano’s summit.
Foreign victims and rescue attempts
Channel News Asia quoted Indonesian authorities as saying that two of the three victims were foreign nationals. The third victim was a resident of the neighboring island of Ternate. In a shocking detail, local police chief Erlichson Pasaribu told the BBC that initial information indicated the two foreign victims were Singaporean tourists. They were part of a tour group in the area.
Reuters and AFP, citing local rescue agencies, reported that around 20 hikers were on the mountain at the time of the explosion, including nine Singaporeans. Authorities confirmed that rescue teams were racing against time to reach those trapped and missing amid extremely difficult field conditions.
Ash cloud 10 kilometers high
Mount Dokono erupted at 7:41 a.m. local time, spewing a massive and terrifying plume of smoke and volcanic ash that rose up to 10 kilometers into the sky. This resulted in reduced visibility in the surrounding areas and posed a threat to air traffic.
Activity ongoing for decades
Mount Dukuno is currently at alert level 3 (second to last) on Indonesia’s four-level alert system.
Historically, it is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It has been erupting continuously since 1933, with frequent ash and lava flows.
This incident has renewed concerns about volcano tourism in Indonesia, which lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire. Furthermore, safety experts have called for stricter restrictions on hikers in high-risk areas, especially given the unpredictable volcanic activity that can turn an expedition into a tragedy.
