Mount Dukono, situated on Halmahera island in North Maluku province, erupted on Friday at 07:41 a.m. local time (1041 GMT Thursday), producing a volcanic ash column that reached as high as 10 km (6.21 miles), authorities said.
The country's volcanology agency kept the mountain at its third highest alert level, with agency head Lana Saria stating the elevated status in an official statement. The eruption prompted an immediate emergency response focused on a group of hikers reported to be trapped on the mountain.
Iwan Ramdani, head of the local rescue agency, said rescue teams have rushed to the site and have deployed dozens of personnel, including police, to search for the 20 hikers affected by the event. Of the group, nine are Singaporean nationals and the remainder are Indonesian citizens. The rescue effort is concentrated on locating and extracting those hikers while the alert remains in place.
Authorities have warned local residents to avoid any activity within a 4 km (2.5 mile) radius of the crater as a safety precaution. The volcanology agency additionally cautioned of the risk of volcanic mudflows if rain occurs, underscoring the potential for secondary hazards following the eruption.
At the time of the report there were no confirmed flight disruptions linked to the eruption. Officials noted that aviation services had not yet reported interruptions, even as the ash column reached substantial height.
The situation remains fluid as search and rescue teams continue operations under an elevated alert level. Emergency services are prioritizing the hikers' recovery while monitoring for further volcanic activity and weather conditions that could increase hazards in the surrounding area.
Context and operational focus
The primary operational focus is twofold: conducting a thorough search-and-rescue for the trapped hikers and maintaining public safety around the volcano's crater. The combination of a large ash plume and the possibility of rainfall-driven mudflows informs the precautions put in place by both the volcanology agency and local authorities.