Volcanic eruption kills three hikers after they ignored warning signs in Indonesia
Three hikers, including two foreigners, died after a volcano erupted on Indonesia’s eastern Halmahera island on Friday, sending a cloud of ash into the air.
Erlichson Pasaribu, police chief of northern Halmahera province, told local Kompas TV: “There are three dead, two foreigners and one resident on the island of Ternate in eastern Indonesia.”
Erlichson said hikers are staying away, ignoring calls on social media and warning signs posted at the entrance of the trail.
‘Local people understand this and don’t want to escalate. A lot [hikers] There are foreign tourists who want to create. [social media] content,’ he added.
Rescue teams have located all the survivors of 20 hikers who ascended the mountain last month despite it being declared off-limits to visitors after scientists observed an increase in volcanic activity.
Most were evacuated, but two people remained in the area to help find the bodies.
Fifteen people were hospitalized.
Lana Saria, head of the government’s Geological Agency, said the early morning explosion was accompanied by a ‘thundering sound’ and a thick column of smoke rising about 10 kilometers from the summit of Mount Dukono in North Maluku province.
Three hikers died and 10 others were missing after a volcano erupted on the eastern Indonesian island of Halmahera on Friday.
A handout photo made available by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) shows rescuers helping evacuated hikers following the Mouth Dukono eruption in North Halmahera, Indonesia, 08 May 2026
Rescue teams carry equipment during a search and rescue operation following the Mouth Dukono explosion in North Halmahera, Indonesia, 08 May 2026
‘The direction of ash distribution is tilted towards the north, so residential areas and the City of Tobelo need to be wary of volcanic ash showers,’ he said in a statement.
Lana added that smoke could be hazardous to public health and risk disruption of transportation services.
Images shared on social media show a huge ash cloud rising into the sky as locals watch.
Authorities are discussing possible negligence by tourism operators or individuals who continue to climb the volcano despite the official closure of the hiking area, according to a statement from Barsanas, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency.
“The government continues to gather information to develop a full account of the incident,” the statement said.
He added that Indonesia’s tourism ministry issued a letter closing the Dukono Mountain hiking area due to safety concerns for visitors and local communities.
Indonesia, a vast archipelagic country, is subject to frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its location on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, where tectonic plates collide.
Mount Dukono is currently at the third-highest alert level of Indonesia’s four-level alert system.
People watch smoke rise after the eruption of Mount Dukono in North Halmahera Regency, North Maluku, Indonesia, May 8, 2026
Hikers ignored calls on social media and signs posted at the entrance of the trail warning them to stay away
Images shared on social media show a huge ash cloud rising into the sky.
Rescuers help evacuated hikers following the Mouth Dukono eruption in North Halmahera, Indonesia, 08 May 2026
Since December, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has advised tourists and climbers not to come within four kilometers of the volcano Malupang Warirang Crater.
This is a breaking story, more to come.
