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View all search resultsAuthorities resumes search for three hikers missing after Mount Dukono eruption
The rescue agency had halted the search on Friday evening as the volcano continued to erupt.
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The volcanic eruption of Mount Dukono in North Halmahera regency, North Maluku, on May 8, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. (-/Aleksius Djangu via Reuters)
T
he joint search and rescue team resumed their search on Saturday for three hikers missing after Mount Dukono erupted in North Halmahera, North Maluku on Friday.
At least 100 rescuers, military and police personnel, as well as two thermal drones, were deployed to find the two Singaporeans and one Indonesian, said Iwan Ramdani, head of National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) office in North Maluku provincial capital of Ternate.
"We are focusing the search around the crater, covering an area around 700 meters," Iwan said.
Survivors have told police that three people, including two Singaporeans, died in Friday's eruption, Halmahera Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Erlichson Pasaribu said, but the rescue agency had not confirmed the deaths by Saturday.
The volcano began erupting on Friday morning, spewing ash as high as 10 kilometers into the sky, according to the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG).
Authorities on Friday evacuated 17 people, namely seven Singaporeans and 10 Indonesians.
The rescue agency had halted the search on Friday evening as the volcano continued to erupt. Saturday's search remained hampered, Iwan said, as the volcanology agency reported at least four morning eruptions.
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassy in Jakarta were working with the Indonesian authorities to gather information and provide consular assistance and support to the affected Singaporeans and their families, the ministry said in a statement.
The volcanology agency is maintaining the Level II ("Waspada" or alert status) for the volcano, the third-highest level in Indonesia's four-tier volcanic warning system, said PVMBG head Lana Saria, adding that residents and tourists were advised not to do any activities within 4 km of the crater.
There were no reports of flight disruptions caused by the eruption.
Mount Dukono is located in the northern part of Halmahera Island. It has an elevation of about 1,087 m and is regarded as one of Indonesia's most persistently active volcanoes.
It has recorded a rise in seismic activity since March 29, with monitoring data showing an average of around 955 eruptive events per day.
The Dukono Volcano Observation Post had confirmed that all hiking activities have been officially prohibited since April 17 following the escalation in volcanic activity. The restriction has not been revoked to date.
