Volcano Sends Massive Ash Cloud Into Sky
Three hikers have been confirmed dead, and 17 others rescued after Mount Dukono on eastern Halmahera island erupted on Friday.
Footage shows towering plumes of thick grey smoke billowing into the sky as the volcano sent an ash cloud approximately 10 kilometres into the air, according to reports.
Local rescue authorities said dozens of personnel, including police officers and emergency responders, had been deployed to search for hikers trapped near the volcano following the eruption.
Police confirmed that three hikers, including two Singaporean nationals, were killed in the incident.
Rescue Teams Evacuate Missing Hikers
The area surrounding the volcano had reportedly been closed to visitors since April 17 after scientists detected heightened volcanic activity.
According to reports, twenty hikers, including nine Singaporean nationals, were on Mount Dukono when it erupted. Rescuers have since evacuated all 17 of the missing group, while search efforts continue to find the three victims who reportedly died near the summit.
Indonesia Remains Vulnerable to Volcanic Activity
Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said Mount Dukono erupted at 07:41 local time on Friday and that the eruption was accompanied by ‘weak to strong booming sounds’.
The Southeast Asian nation frequently experiences earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, a region where tectonic plates meet and generate intense seismic activity. Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes.
Dukono currently remains at level two on Indonesia’s four-tier volcanic alert system. Since December, authorities have advised tourists and climbers not to approach within four kilometres of the Malupang Warirang crater.
Article by Viory
