Mount Dukono eruptions stall search for two missing Singaporean hikers
Continuous eruptions at Indonesia's Mount Dukono on Halmahera island have forced rescue teams to suspend the search for two missing Singaporean hikers. Officials say poor visibility and steady rain near the summit have compounded the danger.
Iwan Ramdani, the head of the local rescue agency, said 150 personnel and two thermal drones had been deployed at first light on Sunday but could not get within 100-150 metres of the crater rim because of continuous eruptions and heavy rain. Teams are now waiting for conditions to improve before resuming the climb.
The two Singaporean hikers had travelled to Halmahera last week as part of a pre-Antarctic tourist itinerary. Singapore's foreign ministry said it was providing consular assistance to the families. Indonesian authorities confirmed the area has been closed to all but emergency personnel since the latest eruption phase began on 7 May.
Mount Dukono is one of the world's most persistently active volcanoes. A similar surge in activity in 2024 prompted a five-kilometre exclusion zone. The Indonesian volcanology institute said the current alert is at Level 3, with continuous ashfall reported in the immediate vicinity and air-quality readings well above safe thresholds for prolonged exposure.
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