At least three people have been killed after a volcanic eruption in Indonesia, with 17 others rescued.
Mount Dukono, located on the island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, erupted at 7:41am, local time, on Friday, sending ash 10 kilometres into the sky, the country’s volcanology agency said.
North Halmahera province’s police chief, Erlichson Pasaribu, said those killed included one Indonesian national and two Singaporeans.
He said their bodies were still on the mountain on Friday due to “ongoing eruptions”.
“The situation is still considered unsafe for evacuation. So, the joint team is still waiting for the right time to begin the search,” he said.
Iwan Ramdani, the head of the local rescue agency, told Reuters that 17 people had been rescued and evacuated.
Mount Dukono is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes. (Supplied)
Nine Singaporeans and 11 Indonesians were among the hiking group.
Authorities said some of the hikers had suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.
The area had been closed to visitors since April 17 after scientists observed an increase in volcanic activity.
A guide and a porter have been taken to the police station and could face criminal charges for taking hikers into a prohibited area, according to the police chief.
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation has warned tourists and climbers against going within four kilometres of the volcano’s Malupang Warirang Crater after scientists spotted an uptick in seismic activity.
Erlichson said the hikers had ignored social media appeals and warning signs put up at the entrance of the trail to stay away.
Another local guide Lexi Djangu – who said he was in the declared “safe radius” for climbing – posted a video on social media showing the volcano erupting behind him as his tour group looked on.
“When we were at the summit, there was no eruption, but there were deep tremors, so I decided to descend with my guests,” he said.
“The three of us are now safe, but as we made our way down, there were still many tourists at the summit.
The volcanology agency maintained the alert status at the mountain at its third highest level, agency head Lana Saria said in a statement.
She said the eruption was accompanied by a “booming sound” and a thick column of ash and smoke rising 10 kilometres from the summit.
“The direction of the ash distribution leans northward, so residential areas and Tobelo City need to be vigilant for… volcanic ash rain,” she said.
She said the eruption could interrupt travel, but there were no disruptions at this stage.
The volcanology agency also warned of the risks of volcanic mudflow when it rains.
Reuters/AFP/ABC
