Wife mourns Singaporean hiker killed on Mount Dukono: 'I experienced a love that is beyond compare'

They were just six months into their marriage and had recently got their own home, dreaming of building a life together.

But everything collapsed around Nurina Iffah Jusmani, 27, when her husband, Shahin Muhrez Abdul Hamid, 27, was confirmed dead on Sunday (May 10) after the eruption of Mount Dukono on May 8.

He was among two Singaporeans who died in the incident, alongside an Indonesian climber.

Now Nurina is left to face the pain and agony, and how, in a cruel twist of fate, her beloved husband was snatched away from her in a matter of minutes.

Shahin was an avid hiker, said Nurina, describing him as a caring and affectionate partner who shared her dreams of building a life together, Berita Harian (BH) reported.

"Although Allah only loaned Shahin to me for six months, in that short period I experienced a love that is beyond compare," she was quoted as saying.

The couple married in October 2025 and were preparing to begin a new chapter of their lives in their Sengkang home. Nurina said they had recently secured the flat.

She said that Shahin was "truly a nature lover" and "Mount Dukono was not his first challenge".

He had previously summited Mount Kinabalu in Sabah just months earlier.

According to BH, Shahin, who worked as a technician at ExxonMobil, was the youngest of four siblings.

His mother, Noraini Ibrahim, 64, described him as a devoted son and a pillar of emotional support for the family.

She said his passing felt like "the collapse of the wall I leaned on" and "all his devotion and love are irreplaceable".

@asiaone The two Singaporeans were among three, including an Indonesian woman, who died after Mount Dukono erupted on May 8. #news #Indonesia #Volcano #Singapore ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

Rescue efforts and authorities' response

In a statement on May 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta was working with Indonesian authorities in Tobelo, North Maluku, on the formal identification of the two bodies.

MFA is in close contact with the families to facilitate the identification and will continue to provide consular assistance.

According to BH, two of Shahin’s family members are currently in Tobelo, a town located not far from the mountain, to make arrangements for his body to be repatriated.

Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency said all 20 climbers have been located after a large-scale operation involving more than 150 personnel. The search and rescue mission has since ended.

In a Facebook post on May 11, Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan extended his "deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives".

He added that Singapore expressed its gratitude to the Indonesian government and rescue teams coordinating the difficult operation, and "will always remember this act of friendship and solidarity".

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eriko.lim@asiaone.com