Multiple hikers killed, others rescued after volcano erupts in Indonesia

Rescue officials close Mount Dukono following the eruption in North Halmahera Regency, North Maluku, Indonesia, on May 8. (National Search And Rescue Body of Indonesia via CNN Newsource)

A volcanic eruption killed three people and triggered a rescue operation to get more than a dozen hikers stranded near the crater of Indonesia’s Mount Dukono to safety on Friday, officials said.

Singapore nationals and an Indonesian citizen were among those killed when the volcano, on the island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, erupted, according to the island’s police chief and search and rescue officials.

Nine foreigners and 11 local hikers were climbing Mount Dukono at the time of the eruption, North Halmahera Police Chief Erlichson Pasaribu told Indonesia’s Kompas TV.

Seventeen of the 20 climbers were safely evacuated by Friday evening, search and rescue officials said.

Survivors told police three people had died in the eruption, according to Pasaribu. Indonesia’s rescue agency had not confirmed their deaths but reported three people missing on Friday.

On Saturday, authorities said two missing Singapore nationals had been found near the crater rim, though it was unclear if they were alive, Reuters news agency reported.

A search operation, suspended overnight, had resumed Saturday morning, involving 100 rescuers, military and police personnel as well as two thermal drones.

On the day of the eruption, a huge column of smoke and ash could be seen rising above Mount Dukono in dramatic video from near the crater recorded by Alex Djangu, an Indonesian mountain guide.

Djangu was guiding two German tourists on the mountain when he felt deep tremors before the eruption, telling CNN it was “very scary.”

Djangu said they heard sounds coming from below the crater at around 3 p.m. local time Thursday. He then flew a drone to inspect the crater conditions from the air.

“The observations showed the crater was filled with volcanic material, which was not normal. Then we heard two explosions,” he said.

Shortly afterwards, he noticed another group of hikers making their way to the crater’s rim. “When the major eruption occurred at 7:41 a.m. on Friday, it seemed the group had just arrived at the summit and were enjoying themselves,” he said.

“I saw the small rocks and gravel sliding down because of the tremors, then I told my clients we have to run down,” he said.

While Djangu and his group were able to safely evacuate, he said many hikers remained at the crater at the time of the eruption.

“When we were about 100 metres (328 feet) away, I saw two groups of local tourists, one group of nine people already close to the rim and the other were videoing for content.”

“I hope they are still alive,” he can be heard saying in the video.

The volcano, he said, is highly active and continued to erupt into Friday afternoon “with supersonic sound.”

Noting the lack of climbing restrictions in place, Djangu said, “At Dukono there is no security post controlling entry or exit routes, and of course there are no forest police preventing people from climbing.”

At least five hikers were injured in the eruption, according to Indonesia’s disaster agency.

On Friday, the agency urged tourists and locals not to carry out activities on Mount Dukono while volcanic activity remained elevated, adding that people should always follow instructions from local authorities and the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG).

Mount Dukono is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, with authorities noting increased activity since late March.

Since December 2024, tourists and other climbers have been advised by the PVMBG not to take part in activities within a 4-kilometre (2.5-mile) radius of Mount Dukono’s epicenter. According to the organization, Dukono had seen a significant increase in explosive magmatic eruptions since March this year.

“When Mount Dukono does not erupt for several days, people need to be careful because it may be building up very high pressure. And that is what happened today,” Djangu said in the video.

Rescue teams could be seen on the mountain on Friday, and carrying at least one injured person on a stretcher through the forest, in photos from Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency BASARNAS.

In a statement sent to CNN, the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was working closely with Indonesian authorities to provide consular assistance and support to affected Singaporeans and their families.

Indonesia sits on the “Ring of Fire,” a band around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanic activity frequently occur. One of the most seismically active zones on the planet, it stretches from Japan and Indonesia on one side of the Pacific to California and South America on the other.

CNN’s Laura Sharman contributed to this report.

By Helen Regan, Isaac Yee, Masrur Jamaluddin, CNN