3 min readNew DelhiMay 9, 2026 06:18 PM IST
An eruption at Indonesia’s Mount Dukono has left three hikers dead after a group of climbers ignored safety warnings and entered a restricted zone around the volcano, authorities said on Friday.
Around 20 hikers began climbing the nearly 1,355-metre volcano on Halmahera island on Thursday despite clear restrictions in place, according to North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu.
Trouble began the next morning when Dukono erupted at 7.41 am local time, sending a massive ash plume nearly 10 kilometres into the sky. Indonesia’s Geological Agency said the eruption lasted for more than 16 minutes and was strong enough to be detected on seismographs. “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 during a television interview.
Rescue teams rushed to the area after receiving distress signals from the mountain. Authorities confirmed that three climbers—two from Singapore and one Indonesian—were killed in the eruption. As reported by the New York Post, 14 hikers, including seven foreign nationals, had been evacuated safely by Friday afternoon, though five of them suffered injuries. Search operations were still underway for others believed to be descending the mountain.
Officials said recovery of the bodies has not yet been possible because volcanic activity continues and conditions near the crater remain extremely dangerous.
Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation has long prohibited all activity within a 4-kilometre radius of Mount Dukono’s crater due to the risk of ashfall, toxic gases and volcanic projectiles. Authorities suspect the hikers were inside the banned zone when the eruption occurred. Despite repeated warnings, warning boards and advisories on social media, Pasaribu said, “many people remain determined to climb, driven by the desire to create online content.”
A video from the scene has since gone viral online, showing thick clouds of smoke rising into the air as terrified tourists run downhill. In the clip, voices can be heard shouting, “Oh, it’s killed them. Oh my god they died,” while some people continue recording the eruption on their phones.
Watch the video:
Tourists Killed by Volcano After Defying Ban to Film ‘Content’: ‘Oh My God, They Died!’ pic.twitter.com/YmmyhVoMSt
— New York Post (@nypost) May 8, 2026
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Mount Dukono is among Indonesia’s most active volcanoes and has been erupting almost continuously since 1933. Indonesia lies along the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and has more than 120 active volcanoes.
Authorities also warned residents and tourists about possible secondary threats such as volcanic mudflows, especially during heavy rain.
Volcanic activity at Dukono remains at the second-highest alert level. Officials said the volcano has become increasingly active since late March, recording close to 200 eruptions since March 30, with an average of about 95 eruptions each day.
“Friday’s eruption was among the strongest during this period,” said Lana Saria, head of Indonesia’s Geology Agency under the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. She added that ash clouds ranging from white to dark grey and black were drifting northward.
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Authorities have urged locals, visitors and climbers to stay away from restricted areas and follow official instructions as monitoring of Mount Dukono continues.
