Three hikers dead after volcano erupts in Indonesia | News World

A volcano in Indonesia has erupted this morning, killing three hikers.

Mount Dukono on North Maluku Island erupted at 07.41am on Friday local time (10.41pm Thursday GMT), sending ash billowing 10km into the sky.

Local police confirmed two foreigners and one local died attempting to achieve the summit.

Meanwhile, rescue teams dispatched to the scene have now positioned the entire survivors from a bunch of 20 hikers – including nine foreigners – who went missing following the eruption.

Some 15 persons are being treated in hospital for injuries related to the incident, a police chief said, adding that those that had accompanied the hikers up the mountain are to be questioned regarding claims of ‘possible negligence by tourism operators or individuals’.

The identities of the deceased hikers – each Singaporean – are currently unknown.

In keeping with officials, the group had set off on an expedition up the volcano despite a climbing ban.

The volcano is considered one of Indonesia’s most energetic, with ‘almost continuous eruptive activity’ – listed at Level Two on the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia’s four-tier system – and each visitors and locals are advised to offer the crater a four-kilometer berth.

But despite the warnings, it stays a well-liked destination amongst tourists and hikers.

A member of the Indonesian Association of Disaster Experts, Dr Mudrik Daryono, warned would-be visitors against attempting to scale it.

‘The general public only sees those that successfully descend and post dramatic content, while potential threats that didn’t occur on the time turn out to be invisible,’ he said.

‘The actual danger stays and will emerge at any time.’

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