There’s a big rescue operation going on in Halmahera Island in Indonesia. At least 20 tourists, including nine from Singapore, are stuck there because of the eruption of Dukono Volcano. The volcano spewed a column of ash 10 km high, forcing authorities to establish a 4-kilometer exclusion zone and declare a Level 3 alert. Rescuers are warning of a critical threat of mudflows and advising groups on the slopes not to descend during the active phase, as clouds of gas and debris typically move downward.
There’s an emergency rescue operation in Indonesia after the eruption of Mount Dukono on Halmahera Island, where at least 20 hiking tourists may be stranded. The Independent says some of them are foreigners, including at least nine Singaporean citizens.
The Indonesian Volcanology Agency says the volcano started erupting at 7:41 a.m. on Friday, sending a column of ash up to 10 km above the crater.
The authorities are asking people living nearby and tourists not to go within 4 km of the volcano. They’re also warning about the potential for volcanic mudflows, which could happen due to rain.
The volcano is still at level three out of four, which is one of the highest levels. That’s what the agency head, Lana Saria, said.
We’ve been informed that there’s currently no info about any disruptions to air traffic due to the eruption.
Ivan Ramdani, the head of the local rescue service, said that a bunch of rescuers and police officers have been sent out to look for the group of tourists.
Reports say this isn’t the first time tourists have been trapped because of sudden activity at Mount Dukono, which is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes. On April 6, a group of travelers found themselves in a dangerous situation during a sudden eruption. Channel News Asia showed a video of a huge column of ash and debris going up into the sky. You can see tourists running down the slope in panic.
But the local guide told everyone to stay put and climb higher. In the recording, he can be heard shouting: “Don’t go down, go up!”
Experts say that descending during an active eruption can be even more dangerous because ash clouds, volcanic gases, and debris flows usually move down the slopes.
According to The Independent, Indonesia, home to more than 280 million people, regularly suffers from earthquakes and volcanic activity. The country has about 120 active volcanoes, and it’s located in the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire”—a zone of high seismic activity around the Pacific Ocean.
Last November, residents had to leave their homes after Mount Semeru erupted, sending a two-kilometer-high ash cloud into the air. Back in July, the Levotobi Laki-Laki volcano covered the surrounding villages in a thick layer of volcanic ash.
One of the deadliest eruptions in recent decades was the 2010 disaster, when Mount Merapi on Java, a very populated island, killed 353 people and forced the evacuation of over 350,000 people.