Two Singaporeans and an Indonesian woman died near the crater after entering a restricted zone.
MAMUYA, Indonesia — Rescue teams recovered the bodies of two Singaporean hikers and an Indonesian woman after Mount Dukono erupted Friday on Halmahera island, ending a three-day search in steep terrain, heavy rain and continuing volcanic activity.
The deaths have focused attention on why 20 hikers were on one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes despite restrictions around the crater. Seventeen people survived, including seven Singaporeans. Indonesian authorities have closed the search and are investigating possible negligence connected to the climb.
Mount Dukono erupted at about 7:41 a.m. Friday, sending a white, gray and black column of ash about 10,000 meters above the crater and north across North Maluku. Officials said the eruption lasted about 16 minutes and came after a period of increased activity. The dead were identified in reports as Heng Wen Qiang Timothy, 30, Shahin Muhrez bin Abdul Hamid, 27, and Angel Krishela Pradita, 28, an Indonesian hiker. “The bodies were buried under deep, densely packed volcanic material that is difficult to dig through,” Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s disaster agency, said. Rescue officials said teams moved slowly because the volcano kept throwing out ash, hot material and rocks.
The hikers were near the main crater when the eruption hit. Authorities said all three victims were about 50 meters from the rim. Iwan Ramdani, chief of the local search and rescue office, said the two Singaporeans were found under rock debris around the crater rim. Their bodies were later taken to an emergency response post and then to Tobelo Regional Hospital for identification and further handling. The Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs said officers from its embassy in Jakarta were working with Indonesian authorities in Tobelo on formal identification and were in contact with the families. MFA said more than 150 search and rescue personnel worked in difficult and hazardous conditions.
The search first centered on the missing Indonesian hiker, whose body was found Saturday. Drones and survivor accounts then helped teams mark the likely locations of the two missing Singaporeans. Searchers said a personal locator beacon helped narrow the area, but the signal came from less than 50 meters from the crater edge. Rain, low visibility and thick volcanic ash slowed the work. At one point, rescuers pulled back after the volcano erupted again. Ramdani said the operation was repeatedly disrupted by Mount Dukono’s activity. By Sunday, rescue teams had recovered all three victims and declared the search finished.
Mount Dukono has erupted almost continuously since 1933 and has long been watched by Indonesian volcanology officials. The 1,355-meter volcano sits in North Maluku, in a country with more than 120 active volcanoes along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Officials said activity had increased since late March and that the May 8 eruption was among the strongest in the recent period. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation kept the volcano at Level 2 alert on a four-level scale after the eruption. Authorities have warned of ashfall, toxic gases, volcanic explosions and mudflows, especially during heavy rain.
Authorities said activity within a 4-kilometer danger zone around the crater is banned. Local officials said hiking to the summit had already been prohibited, and all climbing routes were closed in April after increased eruptions. Police are investigating whether a tour company or people involved in the trip were negligent. North Halmahera Police Chief Erlichson Pasaribu said investigators had questioned six people and were looking at why the group climbed despite the ban. No arrests had been announced. The surviving seven Singaporeans were expected to return to Singapore, while the timing for returning the bodies of the two Singaporean victims remained unclear.
In Mamuya, a village near the base of the mountain, the eruption turned local farmers and laborers into front-line search volunteers. About 30 residents joined the operation, using their knowledge of ridges, forest paths and muddy tracks to help formal rescue teams. “They are very important because they are familiar with the environment,” Ramdani said of the villagers. Jabir Abdul, a 42-year-old resident who joined the recovery, said even people used to Dukono’s eruptions were shaken. “Even we locals who are used to seeing Dukono erupting were taken aback,” he said.
Other villagers helped move food, equipment and rescue supplies to the base camp, where dirt roads were made worse by rain. Hambali Diadi, another Mamuya resident who joined the search, said rescuers rushed in during lulls in the eruption and retreated when the volcano grew active again. “The volcano was still erupting and ejecting hot ash and rocks the size of cars,” he said. Gulit Sanda, a farmer who helped transport supplies, said the victims had arrived the day before the eruption and had hired locals to carry them toward base camp. He said the tragedy left the community with a sense that more might have been done to stop the climb.
The search operation was closed Sunday, May 10, after all three bodies were recovered. Indonesian officials said monitoring of Mount Dukono continues, and police said the negligence inquiry remains open.
Author note: Last updated Monday, May 11, 2026.