Mount Dukono eruption kills two Singaporeans, search ongoing for those missing
An eruption on Mount Dukono has left two Singaporeans dead, with nine others missing.
The eruption occurred at around 7.41am on 8 May, after the volcano on Indonesia’s eastern Halmahera island erupted, sending a large plume of smoke 10 km into the air.
Source: Google Maps
Singaporeans among those killed
According to BBC Indonesia, North Halmahera Police Chief, AKBP Erlichson Pasaribu said that two Singaporeans hikers were killed in the eruption, along with a resident of Ternate, an island in East Indonesia.
At least five others were injured.
Source: @geotechwar on X
Pasaribu also stated that information received from the site indicates that the two bodies were located near the crater rim.
20 individuals are believed to be trapped on the volcano, the Police Chief said.
Nine of the hikers are Singaporeans, while the rest are locals.
Source: @tijabar on X
Rescue efforts are ongoing, with dozens of locals mobilised to aid in the process.
However, due to difficult terrain and repeated eruptions, evacuations have been disrupted.
Warnings issued since Dec 2024
According to the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia, tourists and climbers had been advised to refrain from activities within a 4km radius of Mount Dukono’s main crater due to threats of ejected rocks, ash, and lava since Dec 2024.
Mount Dukono has erupted nearly 200 times since late March, they added.
Source: Koran Tempo
The alert status at the mountain was maintained at the agency’s third-highest level, said agency head Lana Saria in a statement.
There are no reports of flight disruptions caused by the eruption at this stage.
Volcano active since 1933
The volcano is said to have been active since 1933 and is occasionally accompanied by lava flows.
It had recently erupted a whopping 76 times on 6 April, which signalled a “sharp escalation in volcanic activity”, and raised concerns for surrounding communities, according to Bernama.
However, no casualties were reported then.
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Featured image adapted from @geotechwar on X and @tijabar on X
