An eruption of Mount Dukono in North Halmahera, North Maluku, on Friday, May 8, has tragically claimed the lives of two Singaporean climbers. These fatalities are among at least 20 trekkers who found themselves trapped on the volatile volcano following its intense activity.
The grim news was confirmed by North Halmahera Police Chief, AKBP Erlichson Pasaribu, who informed BBC News Indonesia on Friday, May 8. Pasaribu stated, “Information from BPBD (Regional Disaster Management Agency) and Basarnas (National Search and Rescue Agency) indicates two fatalities. They are foreign nationals, Singaporean citizens.”
In response to the emergency, a dedicated team of at least 24 personnel, comprising members from the North Halmahera Police, TNI (Indonesian military), BPBD, and Basarnas, is currently en route to the climbers’ location to commence evacuation efforts. According to Pasaribu, the bodies of the deceased and the surviving trekkers are situated near the rim of the volcano’s crater, with a total of 20 individuals reported to be trapped.
Further reinforcing the severity of the situation, Basarnas confirmed receiving a distress signal (SOS) from the precise coordinates 1°42’13.7″N 127°52’50.2″E. This urgent report was corroborated by the Head of Mamuya Village, who confirmed the incident.
Iwan Ramdani, Head of the Ternate SAR Office, stated, “He informed us that at that location, specifically in the Mount Dukono area of North Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province, a number of climbers sustained injuries as a result of the Mount Dukono eruption activity.” Following this critical update, the Mamuya Village Head officially requested SAR assistance for the evacuation of the victims, prompting immediate action from rescue authorities.
According to the PVMBG (Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation) website, Mount Dukono erupted at 07:41 WIT on Friday, May 8, 2026. The height of the eruption column was observed to be approximately 10,000 meters above the peak, reaching an estimated 11,087 meters above sea level. The ash column, described as grey to black with thick intensity, was observed heading north. At the time the report was compiled, the volcanic eruption was still ongoing, indicating continued activity from Mount Dukono.
Summary
An eruption of Mount Dukono in North Halmahera, North Maluku, on Friday, May 8, tragically claimed the lives of two Singaporean climbers. These fatalities were confirmed by North Halmahera Police Chief AKBP Erlichson Pasaribu, among at least 20 trekkers trapped on the volatile volcano. A distress signal from the area further corroborated the incident and reported injuries among climbers.
A dedicated team of 24 personnel from various agencies, including police and military, is currently en route to evacuate the surviving trekkers and retrieve the bodies near the volcano’s crater. The PVMBG reported the eruption occurred at 07:41 WIT, with an ash column reaching 10,000 meters above the peak and heading north. At the time of the report, Mount Dukono’s volcanic activity was still ongoing.