Indonesian authorities rushing to rescue hikers

Indonesian authorities are rushing to rescue 20 hikers after the eruption of Mount Dukono on Halmahera island on Friday, a local rescue agency official told Reuters. Mount Dukono, located in North Maluku province, erupted on Friday at 07:41 a.m. local time (1041 GMT Thursday), spewing volcanic ash as high as 10 km (6.21 miles) into the sky, the country’s volcanology agency said. The agency maintained the alert status at the mountain at its third highest level, agency head Lana Saria said in a statement. Iwan Ramdani, the head of the local rescue agency, told Reuters that they have deployed dozens of personnel, including police, to search for the 20 hikers trapped by the eruption. Nine of the hikers are Singaporean and the rest are Indonesians, Iwan said. Authorities warned residents to refrain from any activities within 4 km (2.5 miles) of the crater. The volcanology agency also warned of the risks of volcanic mudflow when it rains. There are not yet any reports of f