Tragedy on Halmahera: Two Tourists Killed in Mount Dukono Eruption

A volcanic eruption on Indonesia's Halmahera Island has claimed the lives of two foreign tourists, with at least ten others missing, according to reports from The Guardian. The incident occurred at Mount Dukono, a volatile peak in the eastern part of the archipelago.

North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu told Kompas TV that three people died: two foreign visitors and a local resident from Ternate Island. Seven others managed to descend the mountain safely. The area had been closed to tourists since April due to heightened volcanic activity, but it remains unclear whether the victims entered despite the ban.

Rescue efforts are underway in rugged terrain, accessible to vehicles only on lower slopes. Pasaribu explained that rescuers must carry the injured on stretchers through the rest of the path, a process slowed by the volcano's ongoing rumbling. "The sound of the eruption is still audible," he said. "It's hampering the evacuation."

The eruption sent an ash cloud soaring 10 kilometers into the sky, raising fears it could blanket residential areas and the nearby city of Tobelo, warned Lana Saria, head of the state geological agency.

This tragedy follows a separate incident in Guatemala, where tourists were filmed fleeing an erupting volcano. Authorities urge travelers to heed closure warnings and avoid active volcanic zones.