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Three Hikers Die in Eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Dukono as Search Ends
Rescuers located the remains of Heng Wen Qiang Timothy, 30, and Shahin Muhrez bin Abdul Hamid, 27, near the crater rim of the 1,355-meter volcano on Halmahera island on Sunday. An Indonesian woman identified only as Enjel was found dead the previous day. All three were among 20 hikers who defied safety restrictions around the continuously active volcano.
May 9, 9:08 AM·2m read4 sources
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Rescuers on Indonesia’s remote island of Halmahera recovered the bodies of two Singaporean hikers on Sunday after an eruption of Mount Dukono killed three people. The victims were identified as Heng Wen Qiang Timothy, 30, and Shahin Muhrez bin Abdul Hamid, 27, both from Singapore, and an Indonesian woman named only as Enjel.
All three were part of a group of 20 hikers who had set out on Thursday to climb the 1,355-meter volcano in North Maluku province. Their bodies were found about 50 meters from the rim of the main crater.
m. local time on Friday, producing a thick ash column that rose about 10 kilometers into the air and was recorded on seismographs for more than 16 minutes, according to Indonesia’s Geological Agency. The men’s bodies were covered by thick layers of volcanic material.
Seventeen other hikers were safely evacuated hours after the eruption, including seven Singaporean nationals. Ten of those evacuated suffered minor burns and five were reported injured. Two of the evacuated hikers later joined the rescue operation and provided information that helped locate the missing.
Search teams began with nearly 100 personnel and were later expanded to 150 personnel plus two thermal drones deployed on Sunday morning.
Iwan Ramdani, head of the local search and rescue department, said the operation on Sunday was monitored by volcanology officials while Mount Dukono continued to spew ash, hot material and glowing rocks. “The search operation was repeatedly disrupted by Mount Dukono’s continued volcanic activity,” Ramdani said.
The bodies were transported to an emergency response post and then to Tobelo Regional Hospital for identification and further handling.
The National Disaster Management Agency announced that the search and rescue operation was now closed. The agency urged residents, tourists and tour operators to comply with safety regulations and avoid restricted areas. Authorities have banned all activities within a 4-kilometer danger zone around the crater, in line with recommendations from Indonesia’s volcanology agency.
