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Three people were killed and five others injured Friday when Mount Dukono erupted on a remote Indonesian island, where climbers were in a restricted area, authorities said.
About 20 climbers set out on Thursday to climb the nearly 1,355-meter (4,445-foot) volcano in Halmahera, Indonesia, despite safety restrictions, North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu said.
“They knew it was not allowed to climb the mountain as the mountain is a restricted area due to its state of awareness, but they persisted,” said Pasaribu.
Despite warnings on social media and signs on the site, “many people are still willing to climb, driven by the desire to create content online,” Pasaribu said.
ISLAND HOT SPOT ‘TROPIES’ VISITORS CAN BE HIT BY EMERGENCY SERVICES
In this photo released by Badan Geologi, the geological agency of Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Mount Dukono spews volcanic material during an eruption in North Halmahera, Indonesia, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Badan Geologi via AP)
Pasaribu said three people, including one local resident and two Singaporeans, were killed in the blast. The Indonesian victim was from Ternate, which is in the same province as Mount Dukono.
The three bodies of the victims still remain in the volcano, with ongoing eruptions and difficult terrain preventing them from being pulled out by rescue teams, said Pasaribu.
The group ran into trouble when the volcano erupted at 7:41 a.m. local time, sending ash more than six miles into the sky.
AMAZING PHOTOS SHOCK ONE SECOND OF INDONESIA’S HIGHLY ACTIVE VOLCANOES ERUPTS
Rescue teams were deployed after receiving an emergency signal in the mountainous area.
Joint search and rescue (SAR) teams prepare to evacuate victims affected by the eruption of Mount Dukono in North Halmahera, Maluku Province, Indonesia, on May 08, 2026. At least three Singaporeans have died, and 17 others are still being searched for. (Basarnas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
As of Friday afternoon, 17 climbers have been safely evacuated, including seven Singaporeans and two Indonesians who joined the rescue operation and provided information about the victims’ climbing routes before the explosion, said National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari.
Five of those evacuated were reported injured.
MORE THAN 20 ‘UNPREPARED’ HYPOTHERMIC RESCUERS SURVIVED IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS DUE TO NEW ENGLAND’S HIGH HIGH.
Joint search and rescue (SAR) teams prepare to evacuate victims affected by the eruption of Mount Dukono in North Halmahera, Maluku Province, Indonesia, on May 08, 2026. At least three Singaporeans have died, and 17 others are still being searched for. (Photo by Basarnas/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Basarnas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Pasaribu said the police will question those who joined the mountain climbers. Fox News Digital has reached out to Indonesian state police for more information.
According to the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program, Mount Dukono has been erupting since 1933.
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“Friday’s eruption was among the strongest this time,” said Lana Saria, head of the Indonesia Geology Agency at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals.
I The Associated Press contributed to this report.
