Indonesia said Mount Dukono on Halmahera island in North Maluku erupted on May 8, killing 3 climbers from a party of about 20 hikers that included Singaporeans and Indonesians. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The victims were identified as 2 Singaporeans and 1 Indonesian. Rescue teams found the first body on Saturday and recovered the other 2 on Sunday. [1, 2, 4]
Authorities said the group began the climb on Thursday afternoon, despite a ban that had barred permits for Dukono since April 17 and prohibited the public from entering within 4 km of the crater. Officials said warnings had already been posted on social media and at trailheads. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The volcano erupted at about 7:40 a.m. local time on May 8. Officials said Dukono had erupted more than 200 times since late March. [1, 2, 4]
Guide Reza Selang said he did not know about the ban before the ascent and that no village residents warned him. He said he told the hikers to head back after they neared the crater and asked forgiveness from the victims' families. "I didn’t enter Mount Dukono illegally. We did not receive the letter warning not to enter Mount Dukono before our climb," he said. [1, 2, 5, 4]
Police said the climb was "highly suspected" to have violated the rules and said they had questioned 2 people linked to the travel agency. Indonesian authorities said they had permanently closed the mountain's access point and were investigating possible negligence by tour operators or individuals. [2, 3, 4]
