Tourists found ‘holding each other’ after deadly volcano eruption | World | News

The bodies of two tourists who disappeared after a volcano eruption in Indonesia were found hugging each other.

The bodies were recovered during a grueling operation strained by difficult terrain and heavy rainfall, according to Iwan Ramdani, head of Indonesia’s rescue agency.

The bodies were taken to a local hospital after autopsy.

The fact that the volcano continues to be active and has been persistently releasing ash since Friday further complicates evacuation efforts.

According to reports, debris was launched as high as six miles into the atmosphere at its peak.

North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu said Friday that despite warnings circulating on social media, many people were “determined to escalate out of a desire to create content online.”

He added: “They were aware that climbing was prohibited as the mountain was a restricted area due to the high alert state, but they insisted on continuing.”

In the search operation carried out on Sunday morning, approximately 150 personnel were assigned to scan the area around the mountain’s crater rim using thermal drones.

A missing Indonesian hiker was confirmed dead on Saturday, while 17 others, including seven Singaporeans and 10 Indonesians, were confirmed alive.

The seven rescued people will return to Singapore on Sunday, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

It is not yet known when the bodies of the dead will be sent to their countries. Indonesia’s volcanology agency reported four additional eruptions on Sunday; One of the explosions sent ashes nearly a mile into the sky.

With Mount Dukono placed on the third-highest alert level, all activity is prohibited in the area within a 2.5-mile radius of the crater.