Three people died after the Mount Dukono volcano erupted on Halmahera island in Indonesia's Maluku province last Friday [1], [2], [3].

The fatalities underscore the extreme dangers of hiking active volcanoes, particularly those with unpredictable activity levels that can trap visitors in sudden debris flows.

Rescue teams retrieved the bodies from the volcano's slopes over the weekend. The body of one Indonesian hiker was found on Saturday, May 9 [2], [3]. Two Singaporean nationals were recovered on Sunday, May 10 [1], [3].

The eruption occurred on Friday, May 8, 2026 [1], [2], [3]. Volcanic activity sent an ash plume reaching heights of 10 km [1], [5]. This activity generated rock debris that trapped the hikers on the mountain, leading to their deaths [1], [5].

Authorities had previously set the alert level for the volcano at the third-highest tier [6]. Despite these warnings, the hikers were on the slopes when the eruption began.

Local officials said three bodies were recovered [3]. The recovery operation involved navigating the hazardous terrain of the volcano's slopes to reach the victims [1], [2].

“Three people died after the Mount Dukono volcano erupted on Halmahera island”

The deaths occurred despite the volcano being at the third-highest alert level, highlighting a gap between official hazard warnings and the behavior of adventure tourists. This incident may prompt Indonesian authorities to tighten access restrictions on Halmahera island to prevent further casualties during periods of heightened volcanic instability.