JAKARTA May 10, 2026 — Indonesian rescuers have recovered the bodies of two Singaporean hikers who died in the eruption of Mount Dukono, local authorities confirmed on Sunday, as ongoing volcanic activity and heavy rain continued to complicate evacuation efforts.
The victims were identified as Heng Wen Qiang Timothy, 30, and Shahin Muhrez bin Abdul Hamid, 27. They were part of a group of around 20 hikers — nine from Singapore and 11 Indonesians — who were near the crater rim of the active volcano on Halmahera Island in North Maluku province when it erupted on Friday, May 8, despite an active climbing ban.
Rescue agency head Iwan Ramdani told Reuters that the bodies were found around the crater rim. Backpacks believed to belong to the Singaporeans had been located earlier. One Indonesian hiker, a woman named Angel from Ternate, was confirmed dead on Saturday.
Seventeen people survived the incident, including seven Singaporeans and 10 Indonesians. The surviving Singaporeans are scheduled to fly home on Sunday, according to Singapore’s Foreign Ministry.
Search operations, involving about 150 personnel and two thermal drones, focused on an area roughly 100–150 metres from the crater rim and about 1.25 km from the group’s last known location. Efforts have been repeatedly delayed by continued eruptions, volcanic ash blanketing the terrain, heavy rain, and hazardous conditions inside the 4 km exclusion zone.
“Evacuation of the bodies is still hampered by eruptions that continue to occur and bad weather,” Ramdani said. “Rain was falling in the area.”
Mount Dukono, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, began erupting vigorously on Friday, sending an ash plume as high as 10 km (6 miles) into the sky. As of Sunday, the volcanology agency reported at least four smaller eruptions, one sending ash 1.3 km high. The agency has kept the volcano at its third-highest alert level and prohibits all activities within 4 km of the crater.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent volcanic and seismic activity. The incident highlights the dangers of venturing into restricted zones around active volcanoes, even as tourism to such sites remains popular.
No further details on the victims’ backgrounds or the exact circumstances that led the group into the exclusion zone have been released. Authorities have not indicated when the bodies will be repatriated.
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