Of the Singaporeans rescued from the eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Dukono, seven departed for home on Saturday with arrangements made by authorities. However, two Singaporean hikers remain missing and search and rescue operations are ongoing.
It is understood that those rescued departed that morning by special vehicle from the village of Tobelo at the foot of Mount Dukono, arriving in the afternoon at the port city of Sofifi, Halmahera Island. They then traveled by chartered speedboat to Ternate, a city with an airport, to prepare for their return to Singapore.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, the nine Singaporeans stranded on the volcano during the incident were acquainted with each other. At the scene, the rescued individuals appeared solemn when alighting and proceeded quickly toward the dock without speaking to the media.
Mount Dukono, located on North Halmahera Island in North Maluku province, Indonesia, erupted suddenly on Friday morning. At the time, there were 20 hikers on the mountain, comprising nine Singaporeans and eleven Indonesians.
After the incident, authorities successfully evacuated seven Singaporeans and ten Indonesians, but three hikers remain unaccounted for, including two Singaporeans.
The Indonesian search and rescue agency resumed operations on Saturday, continuing the search in the mountains. However, according to North Halmahera police, some survivors have revealed that the three missing individuals may already have perished.