Jakarta, Indonesia — Rescuers on Indonesia The bodies of two Singaporean travelers were found on Sunday, two days after they were caught on the remote island of Halmahera a volcanic eruption on Mount Dukono, officials said.
The bodies of the men, aged between 30 and 27, were located a few meters (yards) from the location of the first victim. Indonesian female travelerHe was found dead on Saturday, said Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency. All three were about 50 meters (165 ft) from the edge of the main crater.
Muhari said the men’s bodies were covered with thick layers of volcanic material, and said the dense material complicated evacuation efforts and significantly slowed progress.
“The bodies were buried under deep, dense volcanic material, which is difficult to dig out,” Muhari said. Rescue teams must proceed with caution to ensure safety.
The three were among 20 hikers who defied safety restrictions to climb the 1,355-metre (4,445-foot) volcano in North Maluku province. They were stranded when Dukno erupted early Friday, sending a plume of thick ash nearly 10 kilometers (6 miles) into the air.
Seventeen people were evacuated to safety hours after the explosion, including seven Singaporeans. Ten of those evacuated suffered minor burns, while two were able to join the rescue operation and provided information to help locate the missing.
According to Muhari, search teams consisting of about 100 personnel faced extreme terrain and constant volcanic activity.
Ivan Ramdani, head of the local search and rescue department, said evacuation efforts on Sunday were being monitored by volcanology officials as the volcano continued to spew ash, hot material and glowing rocks.
“Search operations have been repeatedly interrupted due to the continued volcanic activity of Mount Dukno,” Ramdani said, adding that teams must be extremely careful during the evacuation process.
Ramdani said the bodies of the three victims were taken to an emergency response post before being taken to Tobelo Regional Hospital for identification and further care.
The National Disaster Management Agency said search and rescue operations have now been called off.
The agency urged residents, tourists and tour operators to follow safety rules and avoid restricted areas.
In line with recommendations from Indonesia’s Volcanology Agency, authorities have banned all activities within a 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) danger zone around the crater.
Mount Dukano is one of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia that are at risk of seismic upheaval due to its location on the “Ring of Fire”, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines that encircle the Pacific Basin.
