Jakarta, May 11:
Rescuers on Indonesia’s Halmahera island recovered the bodies of two Singaporean hikers on Sunday after they were killed in a volcanic eruption on Mount Dukono.
The victims, aged 30 and 27, were found a few metres from an earlier discovered Indonesian female hiker, bringing the death toll to three.
All were close to the crater rim when the volcano erupted on Friday, sending an ash plume about 10 km into the air. Authorities said the bodies were buried under dense volcanic material, making recovery difficult and dangerous.
The hikers were part of a 20-person group that ignored safety restrictions. Seventeen others, including seven Singaporeans, were evacuated, some with minor burns.
Nearly 100 rescuers faced ongoing volcanic activity and difficult terrain. The search has now ended. Officials urged strict adherence to exclusion zones around the volcano, one of over 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia’s Pacific Ring of Fire region.