Rescuers in Indonesia recovered the body of an Indonesian woman who was caught in a volcanic eruption at Mount Dukono on Halmahera Island, according to multiple reports. The eruption occurred early Friday, stranding 20 hikers who had set out to ascend the active volcano despite safety restrictions.
Key Takeaways
Rescuers recovered the body of an Indonesian woman after a volcanic eruption at Mount Dukono in Indonesia. Two Singaporean climbers remain missing among 20 hikers stranded during the eruption.
- Rescuers found one hiker's body near the crater rim
- Two Singaporean climbers still missing, search ongoing
- Eighteen hikers safely evacuated with minor injuries
- Mount Dukono on second-highest alert level since 2008
The woman, identified only as Enjel and known locally as a hiker, was found about 50 meters from the rim of the main crater on Saturday afternoon. Iwan Ramdani, head of the local Search and Rescue Office, stated that rescue teams are continuing operations to find the bodies of two Singaporean climbers who remain missing.
The eruption sent an ash cloud approximately six miles (10km) into the air with no towns or villages near enough to face any immediate threat. Fifteen climbers have safely descended while search efforts continue for the remaining five hikers, including two Singaporeans and three Indonesians.
Hours after the eruption, 15 climbers were safely evacuated, including seven Singaporean nationals and eight Indonesian hikers who joined the rescue operation. Ten of those evacuated suffered minor burn injuries. The search operation involves more than 100 personnel supported by drones, focusing on a hazardous area where clues were found during earlier searches.
Indonesia's volcanology agency reported multiple eruptions from early Saturday through late morning, with ash columns rising as high as 3,000 meters above the crater. Lava bursts were also observed overnight. Mount Dukono has been on the second-highest alert level status since 2008, and authorities enforced a four-kilometer exclusion zone around the active crater in December 2024.
Local authorities formally closed all hiking routes to Mount Dukono in April and reinforced the ban after Friday’s incident. The National Disaster Management Agency warned that entering restricted zones could result in legal sanctions, urging climbers and tour operators to comply with safety recommendations.
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