Dukono eruption kills 3, triggers rescue operation in North Maluku, Indonesia
Local police said three hikers died after Dukono volcano erupted on Halmahera Island, North Maluku, Indonesia, at 07:41 WIT (22:41 UTC on May 7) on May 8, 2026, sending volcanic ash about 10 km (6.2 miles) above the summit. Rescue teams evacuated 17 hikers while the search for three others continued.
Ash rising over Dukono volcano on May 8, 2028. Credit: PVMBG
Authorities initially searched for 20 hikers, including nine Singaporeans and several Indonesians, after the eruption struck the area around Dukono. North Halmahera Police Chief Erlichson Pasaribu told local media that the dead included two foreign nationals and one resident of Ternate. Rescue authorities later said 17 people had been evacuated while search operations continued for the remaining missing hikers.
Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said rescue operations began after an emergency signal from a Garmin device was detected near Dukono at about 08:55 local time and later confirmed by local authorities. The hikers were reportedly near the volcano when the eruption intensified, despite restrictions barring activity within 4 km (2.5 miles) of Malupang Warirang Crater.
Search and evacuation work was hampered by steep terrain, ash exposure, continuing eruptive activity, low visibility, and the risk of additional volcanic material from the crater. Rescuers, police, military personnel, and local residents were deployed to evacuate survivors, move injured hikers by stretcher, and recover victims, while the circumstances of the deaths had not been officially detailed at the time of publication.
“The latest information is that there are three fatalities,” Pasaribu told the media. “Two of them are foreign citizens from Singapore. The other one is a Ternate resident.”
Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) said the eruption produced a dense ash column at approximately 10 800 m (35 500 feet) above sea level, or about 10 000 m (32 800 feet) above the summit, drifting northward.
PVMBG issued a Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) with Aviation Color Code Red after the eruption, while Darwin VAAC tracked volcanic ash reaching 12.8 km (42 000 feet) and moving northward, with additional ash up to 10.7 km (35 000 feet) moving southeast.
The ash-height difference between PVMBG and Darwin VAAC estimates reflected different monitoring methods. PVMBG used ground-based visual observations from the volcano observatory, while Darwin VAAC relied on Himawari-9 infrared satellite analysis that identified detached ash clouds at higher flight levels.
PVMBG maintained Alert Level II / Waspada for Dukono and advised residents, tourists, and climbers not to approach Malupang Warirang Crater within 4 km (2.5 miles) of the volcano. Climbing restrictions had already been in place before the eruption due to continued volcanic activity at the volcano.
PVMBG said that ashfall could affect residential areas and Tobelo City and warned that rainfall could trigger volcanic mudflows on slopes surrounding the volcano. Nearby residents were advised to use masks or other respiratory protection.
No confirmed flight disruptions or airport closures had been reported despite the Red aviation warning.
Dukono, located on Halmahera Island in eastern Indonesia, is among the country’s most persistently active volcanoes and frequently produces ash emissions that affect aviation corridors across the Maluku region and adjacent western Pacific sector.
References:
1 Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation – Dukono Volcano Observatory – May 8, 2026
2 VA Advisory for Dukono volcano – VAAC Darwin – May 8, 2026
3 Eruption information for Dukono volcano – PVMBG – May 8, 2026
4 Indonesia races to rescue stranded hikers after Mount Dukono eruption; Singaporeans among the missing – CNA – May 8, 2026
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