Three Killed After Eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Dukono
Rescue teams evacuated surviving hikers after Mount Dukono sent a massive ash cloud into the sky during an early morning eruption.
- Three hikers, including two Singaporeans, died after Mount Dukono erupted on Friday morning.
- The volcano produced a towering ash plume reaching about 10km into the sky.
- Rescue workers safely evacuated the remaining hikers despite dangerous conditions on the mountain.
Three hikers lost their lives after Indonesia’s Mount Dukono volcano erupted early Friday on North Maluku island.
Footage from the scene showed a massive plume of ash rising about 10km (six miles) into the air as the volcano erupted.
The victims were among a group of 20 hikers from Singapore and Indonesia who had climbed the mountain despite official restrictions. Rescue teams later found and evacuated the remaining members of the group.
Authorities said the dead included two Singaporean nationals and one resident of Ternate, a nearby Indonesian city.
Mount Dukono has remained highly active, erupting more than 200 times since March last year. Officials had repeatedly warned the public not to climb the volcano because of ongoing safety risks.
The latest eruption occurred at 07:41 local time (22:41 GMT Thursday), while several hikers were on the mountain during early morning treks.
Most survivors were taken to hospital for treatment after being brought down from the volcano. Two porters stayed behind to assist rescue teams searching for the victims’ bodies.
