N. Halmahera, N. Maluku. Indonesian rescue teams continued a second day of search operations on Saturday for three missing hikers, including two Singaporean nationals, following a powerful volcanic eruption on the mountain in eastern Indonesia.

According to, the missing group consists of two foreign nationals from Singapore and one Indonesian local resident.

Iwan Ramdani, head of the Ternate Search and Rescue Office, said rescue teams began operations at 6:30 a.m. local time from a monitoring post in Mamuya Village before heading toward the summit area of Mount Dukono.

A total of 103 personnel have been deployed for the operation. The teams were divided into four search units to cover an area of approximately 700 square meters around the crater zone.

“The teams are conducting ground searches around the summit area near the crater,” Ramdani said.

Authorities are also using two drones operated by Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency and the mobile brigade unit of the North Maluku Police to assist aerial surveillance efforts.

Rescue efforts have been complicated by poor weather conditions and ongoing volcanic activity. Officials said safety remains the top priority for personnel operating near the crater.

Mount Dukono has continued erupting, releasing volcanic ash and ejecting rocks, forcing rescuers to repeatedly retreat to safe zones during periods of heightened activity.

“We are coordinating closely with the Mount Dukono monitoring post. If an eruption occurs, all rescue personnel must immediately return to a safe point,” Ramdani said. “The challenge is that we are racing against time whenever conditions are safe enough to approach the crater area.”

The three missing individuals were part of a group of 20 hikers trapped near the summit on Friday morning after the volcano erupted violently. Nine members of the group were Singaporean nationals, including the two people still missing.

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