Indonesian officials reported on May 8, 2026, that three hikers lost their lives and several more were unaccounted for after Mount Dukono erupted on Halmahera Island in North Maluku province, with the victims consisting of two Singaporean nationals and one resident from Ternate Island. The sudden explosion propelled a column of ash nearly 10 kilometers high, prompting immediate search and rescue operations in the rugged terrain while officials issued alerts about drifting ash that could endanger nearby populations and infrastructure, according to a dispatch from Qatar News Agency.
Lana Saria, head of the government’s Geology Agency, warned that the ash clouds were moving northward toward residential areas and the city of Tobelo, where they could create respiratory health issues and interfere with transportation networks. The agency directed all residents and tourists to remain outside a four-kilometer radius of the Malupang Warirang crater to minimize exposure to potential follow-on eruptions or volcanic mudflows known as lahars. Mount Dukono was held at the third level of Indonesia’s four-tier alert system at the time, signaling significant unrest but not the highest state of emergency, QNA reported.
Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area that National Geographic data shows contains 75 percent of the world’s volcanoes and 90 percent of its earthquakes. The country is home to more than 130 active volcanoes, the most of any nation, according to records maintained by Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation. This geological setting results in dozens of eruptions each year across the archipelago. Mount Dukono itself has a long record of activity, often producing ash plumes that prompt aviation warnings.
Reports from CNN indicated that around 20 hikers had set out to climb the mountain the day before the eruption, despite it being off-limits due to ongoing volcanic signals. A local guide who escaped the blast with two German tourists told authorities he felt strong tremors and saw other hikers near the crater rim just before the explosion. Rescue operations were launched after an emergency signal was received from the area, with teams working through challenging conditions to locate those affected.
The bodies of the three victims were recovered by May 11, with two found trapped together under rock debris near the crater, according to a report by People magazine. The New York Times noted that the hikers had been in a prohibited zone when the volcano erupted without much prior warning. Search efforts continued for any remaining missing individuals as officials assessed the full impact of the event.
BBC reporting from the time included video footage of the eruption showing the massive ash cloud rising high above the island. Indonesian police identified the dead as two men from Singapore and one from Ternate. The incident occurred at Mount Dukono, which according to geological records is one of the most active volcanoes in eastern Indonesia.
