A violent eruption occurred on Friday morning at the Dukono volcano on the island of Halmahera in eastern Indonesia. The eruption threw a cloud of ash about 10 km into the air, and three hikers, including two foreigners, died, reports The Guardian.
“There are three dead, two foreigners and a resident of the island of Ternate”, in eastern Indonesia, said Erlichson Pasaribu, the chief of police in North Halmahera province, in the Moluccas, for Kompas TV.
Another ten people are reported missing in this area forbidden to tourists due to the intensified activity of the volcano.
The eruption was accompanied by a “loud rumble” and a dense column of smoke that rose about 10 km above the summit of Mount Dukono, said Lana Saria, head of the national geological agency.
Massive eruption of Mt. Dukono volcano in North Maluku Province, Indonesia 🇮🇩 (08.05.2026) pic.twitter.com/gdL9HclkqN
— Disaster News (@Top_Disaster) May 8, 2026
“The ash is heading north, so residential areas and the town of Tobelo must be vigilant in the face of (…) volcanic ash rains,” she said in a statement.
Volcanic smoke could be dangerous to public health, Lana added, and could disrupt transportation services.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where tectonic plates collide.
🚨 Three hikers dead and at least 10 missing after deadly eruption at Mt Dukono 🚨
There's been a deadly eruption at Mount Dukono in Indonesia today.
Authorities now say at least 3 hikers have died, with at least 10 still missing and rescue teams continuing searches on the… pic.twitter.com/hLGEX3CBAm
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) May 8, 2026
Mount Dukono is currently at alert level two on a scale that has four levels.
