Indonesian authorities have launched an urgent mission to rescue at least 20 hikers caught up in a volcano eruption on Mount Dukono.
A number of the hikers are believed to be foreign nationals, with officials saying that at least nine of them are Singaporean.
The volcano, located on Halmahera Island, erupted at 7.41am on Friday, spewing volcanic ash as high as 10km above the crater, said the country’s volcanology agency.
Officials urged residents and tourists to avoid going within 4km of the crater while the agency also warned of the risks of rains causing volcanic mudflows.
The agency maintained the alert status at the mountain at its third highest level, agency head Lana Saria said in a statement.
There are not yet any reports of flight disruptions caused by the eruption.
Iwan Ramdani, the head of the local rescue agency, said that they have deployed dozens of personnel, including police, to search for the 20 hikers trapped by the eruption.
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