Indonesia volcano kills three as search for 20 missing hikers under way

"Mount Dukono erupted at 07:41am local time on Friday (22:41 GMT on Thursday), spouting a tower of volcanic ash as high as 10km (6.21 miles) into the sky, and was accompanied by a weak to strong booming sound, Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said in a statement."

"Iwan Ramdani, the head of the local rescue agency, told the Reuters news agency that they have deployed dozens of personnel, including police, to search for the 20 hikers trapped by the eruption. Ramdani said nine of the hikers are from Singapore. Three hikers, including two foreigners, were killed, police chief Erlichson Pasaribu of North Halmahera told Kompas TV, according to the AFP news agency."

"The area had been closed to visitors since April 17 after scientists observed an increase in volcanic activity. Authorities have told residents and tourists to stay 4km (2.4 miles) from the Malupang Warirang crater, which is the centre of volcanic activity. The direction of the ash distribution leaned towards the north, so the government volcano agency issued a warning for residents in Tobelo town that they could be affected by volcanic ash rain."

"They have also warned of a direct threat of ejected rocks and the potential hazard of lava flows. Mount Dukono is an extremely active volcano and since March, there have been close to 200 eruptions."

Mount Dukono erupted on Halmahera island, killing three people and trapping 20 hikers who entered a closed area. The eruption began at 07:41am local time and produced a volcanic ash column reaching about 10km into the sky, accompanied by booming sounds. Indonesian authorities deployed dozens of personnel, including police, to search for the missing hikers, with nine reported from Singapore. The area had been closed since April 17 after increased volcanic activity was observed. Authorities warned residents and tourists to stay 4km from the Malupang Warirang crater and issued alerts for ash rain toward the north, along with risks from ejected rocks and possible lava flows. The volcano has been highly active, with nearly 200 eruptions since March.

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