Indonesia volcano kills three as search for 20 missing hikers under way

Mount Dukono erupts on Halmahera island, trapping hikers who went to the area despite it being closed since April 17.

Indonesian authorities are searching for 20 missing hikers after the eruption of Mount Dukono on Halmahera island killed three people.

Mount Dukono, an active volcano, erupted at 07:41am local time on Friday (22:41 GMT on Thursday), spouting a tower of volcanic ash as high as 10km (6.21 miles) into the sky, and was accompanied by a “weak to strong booming sound”, Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said in a statement.

Iwan Ramdani, the head ⁠of the local rescue ⁠agency, told the Reuters news agency that they have deployed dozens of personnel, including police, to search for the 20 hikers trapped ⁠by the eruption. Ramdani said nine of the hikers are from Singapore.

Three hikers, including two foreigners, were killed, police chief Erlichson Pasaribu of North Halmahera told Kompas TV, according to the AFP news agency.

The area had been closed to visitors since April 17 after scientists observed an increase in volcanic activity.

Authorities have told residents and tourists to stay 4km (2.4 miles) from the Malupang Warirang crater, which is the centre of volcanic activity.

The direction of the ash distribution leaned towards the north, so the government volcano agency issued a warning for residents in Tobelo town that they could be affected by “volcanic ash rain”.

They have also warned of a direct threat of ejected rocks and the potential hazard of lava flows.

Mount Dukono is an extremely active volcano and since March, there have been close to 200 eruptions.