Three hikers dead and 10 missing after Indonesia's Mount Dukono volcano erupts

"Three hikers have died and 10 are missing after an eruption at Mount Dukono on Indonesia's eastern Halmahera island spewed an ash cloud about 10km (6 miles) into the air, local police have said. There are three dead, two foreigners and one resident of Ternate [island in east Indonesia], Erlichson Pasaribu, the police chief of North Halmahera district, told Kompas TV. Seven people had come down safely, Erlichson said, but 10 more were missing in an area declared off limits to visitors last month after scientists observed an increase in volcanic activity."

"According to Indonesia's national disaster management agency (BNPB), five climbers were also injured in the eruption. The joint teams from the regional disaster management agency and the national search and rescue agency continue to conduct sweeps and evacuations of climbers in the mountain area as volcanic activity increases, a spokesperson, Abdul Muhari, said. The rescue operation is taking place in rough terrain only partly accessible to vehicles. Photograph: Basarnas/EPA Erlichson said the rescue operation was taking place in rough terrain only accessible to vehicles part of the way up the slope."

"The rest of the way [the victims] need to be carried on a stretcher. And there is still rumbling from the eruption. It slows down our evacuation, he said. Lana Saria, the head of the government geology agency, said the early morning eruption was accompanied by a booming sound and a thick smoke column rising from the summit of Mount Dukono. The direction of the ash distribution leans northward, so residential areas and Tobelo city need to be vigilant for volcanic ash rain, she said."

"It could be dangerous for public health, Lana said, and risked disrupting transportation services. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity owing to its position on the Pacific ring of fire where tectonic plates collide."

An eruption at Mount Dukono on Indonesia’s eastern Halmahera island produced an ash cloud about 10 km into the air. Three hikers died, including two foreigners and one resident of Ternate. Seven people came down safely, while 10 others were missing in an area declared off limits after increased volcanic activity was observed. Five climbers were injured. Joint regional and national search and rescue teams continued sweeps and evacuations as volcanic activity increased. Rescue operations faced rough terrain with limited vehicle access, requiring stretcher carries for the remaining distance. The eruption included a booming sound and a thick smoke column, with ash distribution leaning northward toward residential areas and Tobelo city, raising public health and transportation risks.

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