Rescuers on Sunday recovered the bodies of two Singaporean hikers on Indonesia’s remote Halmahera island after a volcanic eruption on Mount Dukono stranded them, officials said. The recovery came two days after the eruption, which spewed a thick ash column and left search teams navigating extreme terrain and continuing volcanic activity.
National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said the men, aged 30 and 27, were located a few meters from the area where officials had found the body of an Indonesian female hiker on Saturday. Muhari said the three victims had been about 50 meters from the rim of the main crater, and he described the bodies as being covered by thick layers of volcanic material.
Muhari said the tightly packed volcanic deposits complicated evacuation and slowed progress, warning that rescue teams had to proceed cautiously because the material was difficult to dig through. He said the burial layers were dense and deep, requiring additional care to avoid further danger during recovery efforts.
The officials said the victims were part of a group of hikers who set out to ascend the 1,355-meter Mount Dukono in North Maluku province despite safety restrictions. They became stranded after Dukono erupted early Friday, sending a thick ash column about 10 kilometers into the air.
Authorities said 17 people were evacuated safely within hours of the eruption, including seven Singaporean nationals. Muhari said some of those evacuated had suffered minor burns, and he added that two evacuees were able to join the rescue operation and provide information to help locate those missing.
On Sunday, search efforts involved nearly 100 personnel and faced continuing volcanic activity, according to Muhari. Iwan Ramdani, head of the local search and rescue department, said volcanology officials monitored the evacuation efforts as Mount Dukono continued to spew ash, hot material and glowing rocks, repeatedly disrupting the operation.
Ramdani said the bodies of the three victims were transported to an emergency response post before being taken to Tobelo Regional Hospital for identification and further handling. After the recoveries, Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency said the search and rescue operation was closed.
The agency urged residents, tourists and tour operators to comply with safety regulations and avoid restricted areas around Dukono. Authorities have banned activities within a 4-kilometer danger zone around the crater, following recommendations from Indonesia’s volcanology agency.