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The bodies of two missing Singaporean tourists have been found 'holding each other' under rock debris after the Mount Dukono volcano erupted in Indonesia.
03:59, Mon, May 11, 2026 Updated: 04:03, Mon, May 11, 2026
TOPSHOT - CORRECTION / A handout picture taken and released by Indonesia's Geological Agency on May 8, 2026, shows smoke rising from the eruption of Mount Dukono as seen from Tobelo, North Maluku. Three hikers, including two foreigners, were killed and 10 were missing after a volcano on Indonesia's eastern Halmahera island erupted, spewing an ash cloud into the air, a local police chief said. (Photo by Handout / Indonesia's Geological Agency / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO /Indonesia's Geological Agency" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS / "The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Handout has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Indonesia's Geological Agency] instead of [Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency (BNPB)]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require." (Image: Indonesia's Geological Agency/AFP via Getty Images)
The bodies of two tourists missing after a volcano erupted in Indonesia have been discovered holding each other.
The Singaporean nationals were found clutching one another beneath rock debris, following the eruption of Mount Dukono on Indonesia's Halmahera island.
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The bodies were recovered during a challenging operation hampered by treacherous terrain and heavy rainfall, according to Indonesia's rescue agency head, Iwan Ramdani.
The bodies have been transported to a local hospital where they will undergo post-mortem examinations.
The volcano has continued its activity and has been persistently releasing ash since Friday, further complicating the evacuation efforts.
According to reports, debris was propelled as high as six miles into the atmosphere at its peak.
Despite warnings circulated across social media, several individuals "remain determined to climb, driven by the desire to create online content," said North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu on Friday.
He added: "They were aware that climbing was prohibited as the mountain is a restricted zone due to its high alert status, but insisted on going ahead."
A huge search operation was carried out to find the missing hikers (Image: AP)
A search operation conducted on Sunday morning deployed approximately 150 personnel using thermal drones to scan around the mountain's crater rim.
It was confirmed on Saturday that one missing Indonesian hiker had perished, while 17 people, including seven Singaporeans and 10 Indonesians, survived.
The country's Foreign Ministry said that the seven rescued will return to Singapore on Sunday.
It remains unclear when the bodies of those found deceased will be repatriated. Indonesia's volcanology agency reported four additional eruptions on Sunday, with one blast propelling ash nearly a mile into the sky.
All activity has been prohibited within a 2.5-mile radius of the crater, as Mount Dukono has been placed on the third-highest alert level.
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