Indonesian authorities rushing to rescue 20 hikers, including 9 Singaporeans, after Mount Dukono eruption

JAKARTA - Indonesian authorities are rushing to rescue 20 hikers after the eruption of Mount Dukono on Halmahera island on Friday (May 8), a local rescue agency official told Reuters.

Mount Dukono, located in North Maluku province, erupted on Friday at 7.41am local time (1041 GMT Thursday), spewing volcanic ash as high as 10 km (6.21 miles) into the sky, the country's volcanology agency said.

The agency maintained the alert status at the mountain at its third highest level, agency head Lana Saria said in a statement.

INFO GUNUNG ERUPSI !

Terjadi erupsi "GUNUNG DUKONO" - Maluku Utara pada hari Jumat, 08 Mei 2026, pukul 07:41 WIT dengan tinggi kolom abu letusan teramati ± 10000 m di atas puncak (± 11087 m di atas permukaan laut), berwarna putih, kelabu hingga hitam dengan intensitas tebal ke… pic.twitter.com/TEvKIwCj5A

— t°Jabar (@tijabar) May 8, 2026

Iwan Ramdani, the head of the local rescue agency, told Reuters that they have deployed dozens of personnel, including police, to search for the 20 hikers trapped by the eruption.

Nine of the hikers are Singaporean and the rest are Indonesians, Iwan said.

Authorities warned residents to refrain from any activities within 4 km (2.5 miles) of the crater.

The volcanology agency also warned of the risks of volcanic mudflow when it rains.

There are not yet any reports of flight disruptions caused by the eruption.

Telah terjadi erupsi Gunung Dukono tanggal 8 Mei 2026 di Halmahera Utara, Maluku Utara pagi ini pukul 7:40 WIT. Erupsi kali ini cukup besar dengan ketinggian kolom abu diperkirakan mencapai 10 km. Kalian bisa melihat kolom abu di Citra Satelit. pic.twitter.com/g8FQ6P4g5X

— 𝕸𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖈𝖆 ᴼᶠᶠⁱᶜⁱᵃˡ (@NenkMonica) May 8, 2026