PUBLISHED ONMay 08, 2026 7:00 AMUPDATEDMay 10, 2026 12:35 PMBYDana LeongTwo Singaporean hikers who had been reported missing were confirmed dead following the eruption of Mount Dukono on Halmahera island in Indonesia on Friday (May 8), the head of the local rescue agency told Reuters on Sunday (May 10).
Rescuers found the bodies around the crater rim, and evacuation was under way, agency head Iwan Ramdani told Reuters.
"Evacuation of the bodies is still hampered by eruptions that continue to occur and bad weather," he said, adding that rain was falling in the area.
The two hikers were previously identified as Heng Wen Qiang Timothy, 30, and Shahin Muhrez bin Abdul Hamid, 27, CNA reported.
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Sunday (May 10) that Indonesian authorities have informed officers from the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta that they have recovered two bodies from Mount Dukono believed to be those of the missing Singaporeans.
The ministry said that they are working closely with the Indonesian authorities in Tobelo, North Maluku on the formal identification of the two bodies.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is in close contact with the families to facilitate the identification and will continue to provide consular assistance," said the ministry.
"MFA would like to express its deep appreciation to the Indonesian authorities, particularly the search and rescue teams comprising more than 150 personnel, for their efforts under very difficult and hazardous conditions."
Apart from the two Singaporeans, one other person, an Indonesian resident, died after the eruption, North Halmahera Police Chief Erlichson Pasaribu had earlier told TV outlet KompasTV.
The three individuals were part of a group of 20 that had gone to hike the mountain despite a climbing ban, BBC reported.
Seventeen people, including seven Singaporeans and 10 Indonesians, survived the incident, according to Reuters.
The seven surviving Singaporeans will fly home on Sunday, said MFA. It was unclear when the bodies of the two who died will be returned.
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