North Halmahera Shuts Mount Dukono Access After 3 Die as Level 2 Alert Bars 4km Zone
Updated
Updated · The Straits Times · May 11
North Halmahera Shuts Mount Dukono Access After 3 Die as Level 2 Alert Bars 4km Zone
4 articles · Updated · The Straits Times · May 11
May 8 brought an urgent order from North Halmahera to permanently close all Mount Dukono entry points, ban climbing permits and bar any ascent after an eruption killed three hikers.
A Level 2 alert has been in force since March 29, and Indonesian rules already prohibited public activity within 4km of the crater because of heightened volcanic unrest.
Three members of a 20-person hiking group — two Singaporeans and one Indonesian — were found over May 9-10 near the summit, buried under debris after a two-day rescue involving more than 150 people.
The trip had been marketed by Singapore-based agency The Outside as an 11-day, beginner-friendly expedition covering three volcanoes, including two active peaks; seven surviving Singaporeans returned home on May 10.
Mount Dukono has been erupting continuously for decades, and the case sharpens scrutiny of commercial adventure trips to active volcanoes despite existing local restrictions.
Did the quest for extreme social media content lead hikers to ignore fatal volcano alerts?
How can authorities enforce safety zones when tour guides deliberately enter prohibited high-risk areas?
When a 'beginner-friendly' tour ends in tragedy, who is responsible for ignoring official warnings?