Three hikers die in Indonesia’s Mount Dukono eruption, others rescued

Three climbers died on Indonesia’s Mount Dukono after a group entered an off-limits area that authorities had closed weeks earlier because of rising volcanic activity. Police said the men were among about 20 hikers who set out Thursday to climb the volcano despite safety restrictions.

The eruption struck at 7:41 a.m. local time Friday on Halmahera island in North Maluku province, sending an ash column about 10 kilometers above the summit of the nearly 1,355-meter mountain. The blast was recorded on seismographs for more than 16 minutes. Three men, two Singaporean nationals and one Indonesian national, died at the scene.

North Halmahera Police chief Erlichson Pasaribu said the climbers knew the mountain was a restricted zone but went ahead anyway. Rescue teams evacuated 17 others, and five of those brought down were reported injured. Some climbers were still being searched for Friday afternoon, while the bodies had not yet been recovered because eruptions and dangerous conditions kept crews away.

Mount Dukono had been closed to visitors since April 17 after scientists detected increased volcanic activity. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation had told climbers to stay at least 4 kilometers from the crater because of volcanic bombs, ashfall, toxic gases and the risk of mudflows during heavy rain. Officials also warned nearby residents about falling ash. One local guide turned back after feeling deep tremors.

The incident exposed a recurring problem around active volcanoes: warning systems can be clear on paper and still fail when people enter restricted terrain anyway. Dukono had been showing stronger explosive eruptions since late March, with nearly 200 recorded since March 30, an average of about 95 a day. Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, has more than 120 active volcanoes, and Dukono has been erupting almost continuously since 1933.

As evacuation crews worked in North Halmahera, officials said the identities and condition of all hikers were still being verified. For the communities around Mamuya village, Tobelo and the wider Halmahera region, the eruption was another reminder that exclusion zones only work when they are enforced, respected and communicated with enough force to keep people out before the ground gives way.