A powerful eruption of Mount Dukono in Indonesia's North Maluku province has resulted in three fatalities, including two foreign tourists, and left ten hikers missing. Authorities had previously warned against climbing the volcano due to increased seismic activity, but some hikers ignored the warnings. The eruption sent a 10 km ash column into the air, posing health risks and potential transportation disruptions.
Three hikers, including two foreigners, were killed and 10 were missing after a volcano on Indonesia 's eastern Halmahera island erupted on Friday, spewing an ash cloud into the air.
Police chief Erlichson Pasaribu of North Halmahera province told local Kompas TV that the victims included two foreigners and one resident of Ternate island in east Indonesia. Another 10 were missing in the area, which had been declared off-limits to visitors last month after scientists observed an increase in volcanic activity. The hikers had ignored social media appeals and warning signs put up at the entrance to the trail to stay away, Erlichson said.
Local residents understand and don't want to climb. Many are foreign tourists who wish to create content, he added. Lana Saria, head of the government Geology Agency, said the early-morning eruption was accompanied by a booming sound and a thick smoke column rising some 10 km from the summit of Mount Dukono in the North Maluku province.
The direction of the ash distribution leans northward, so residential areas and Tobelo City need to be vigilant for possible volcanic ash rain, she said in a statement. The smoke could be dangerous for public health, Lana added, and risked disrupting transportation services. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire where tectonic plates collide.
Mount Dukono is currently on the third-highest alert level of Indonesia's four-tiered alert system. Rescuers are assisting hikers as they are evacuated following the eruption. Since December, the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has recommended that tourists and climbers not come within four kilometres of the volcano's Malupang Warirang Crater. This is a breaking story, and more details are expected to follow
Volcanic Eruption Indonesia Halmahera Island Mount Dukono Natural Disaster
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