About twenty tourists, including nine from Singapore, are missing after the eruption of the Dukono volcano on the island of Halmahera. The area was closed due to increased activity.
Twenty tourists are missing after the eruption of the Dukono volcano on the Indonesian island of Halmahera, a local rescuer told AFP on Friday. Among the missing are nine people from Singapore, TASR reports.
- Twenty tourists are missing after the eruption of the Dukono volcano.
- Nine people from Singapore are among the missing.
- The area has been closed to tourists since April.
- Ashes and smoke threaten nearby areas and people’s health.
The rescuer claims that it has not yet been confirmed whether there were any injuries after the explosion. “According to reports, around 20 people are being searched for,” he said, saying they were tourists, despite the area being closed to visitors since April 17 after scientists noted increased volcanic activity.
The ashes are spreading
The director of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, Lana Sari, said the explosion, which occurred in the early hours of the morning local time, was accompanied by a “rumbling sound” and thick smoke rose about ten kilometers from the summit of the Dukono volcano in North Maluku province.
According to her, the ash is spreading to the north, so residential areas and the town of Tobelo “need to be alert because of the rain of volcanic ash”. Smoke can be a public health hazard and disrupt traffic.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago country, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its location in the so-called Fire circle. It is an area in the Pacific known for intense seismic activity. The Dukono volcano is currently on the third highest level of alert in Indonesia’s four-level warning system.
