Three Hikers Killed in Major Eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Dukono

An explosive eruption of Mount Dukono on the remote Indonesian island of Halmahera killed three hikers on May 8, 2026, authorities said. m. local time sent a thick ash column rising about 10 kilometers above the summit and was recorded on seismographs for more than 16 minutes, according to Indonesia’s Geological Agency.

North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu identified the dead as two Singaporean men aged 30 and 27 and one Indonesian woman from Ternate. About 20 climbers had set out the previous day to ascend the volcano despite prohibitions. Nine were from Singapore and the rest Indonesian.

Of those, 14 climbers including seven foreign nationals had been safely evacuated by Friday afternoon on May 8, with five of the evacuated reported injured. Fifteen climbers had safely descended several hours after the eruption. The bodies of the three deceased hikers remained on the mountain as of May 8.

Rescuers on May 9 recovered the body of the Indonesian woman, ABC News reported. Search operations continued for the bodies of the two Singaporeans as of May 9. The hikers were inside the restricted 4 km radius zone at the time of the eruption.

5 mile (4 km) radius of Dukono’s Malupang Warirang crater since December 2024. Since that time the national volcanology centre has warned tourists and climbers not to approach the crater, citing hazards including volcanic bombs, ashfall and toxic gases. Warnings were disseminated through social media and on banners at trail entrances.

Officials had previously issued warnings on climbing the active volcano due to safety concerns. “They were aware that climbing was prohibited as the mountain is the restricted zone due to its high alert status, but insisted on going ahead,” Pasaribu said in a television interview.

The group’s guide and a porter were taken to the police station and could face criminal charges for taking hikers into a prohibited area.