Indonesian authorities are urgently searching for 20 climbers missing after Mount Dukono on Halmahera Island erupted, leaving three dead.
According to Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, the active volcano erupted at 07:41 local time on March 21 (22:41 GMT on March 20), sending an ash column up to 10 kilometers into the sky, accompanied by "weak to strong explosions."
Iwan Ramdani, head of the local rescue agency, said dozens of personnel, including police, have been deployed to search for 20 trapped climbers. Among them, nine are from Singapore.
The three dead climbers, including two foreigners, were confirmed by North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu, according to AFP.
The area had been closed to visitors since April 17 after scientists recorded increased volcanic activity. Authorities have ordered residents and tourists to stay at least 4 kilometers from the Malupang Warirang crater.
Ash from the eruption is expected to drift north, prompting the government's volcanology agency to warn residents in Tobelo town of possible "volcanic ash rain." They also warned of direct risks from flying rocks and potential hazards from lava flows.
Mount Dukono is an extremely active volcano. Since March, there have been nearly 200 eruptions.
