What began as an adventurous sunrise hike on one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes quickly turned into tragedy.
On Friday morning, Mount Dukono erupted violently, killing three hikers and trapping others near the crater as ash and rocks blasted into the sky.
Videos from the scene showed a towering 10km ash cloud roaring above the mountain.
The victims — two Singaporean men and a local Indonesian woman — were part of a 20-person hiking group.
The group had ignored official warnings to stay away from the volcano.
Why take the risk? That’s the question now haunting authorities.
Active volcanoes can never be treated as ordinary tourist destinations,” disaster expert Daryono warned.
Social media adventure clips often make dangerous climbs look harmless.
Volcano Risks Ignored
Rescuers managed to evacuate most hikers, but retrieving the bodies proved difficult as the volcano kept erupting throughout the day.
“Ash and rock material are continuously being ejected,” local rescuer Aldy Salabia told reporters.
Officials say Mount Dukono has erupted more than 200 times since last year and a 4km exclusion zone had already been announced. Yet hikers kept coming.
Perhaps that’s the harsh lesson here: nature doesn’t care about viral videos, thrill-seeking, or perfect drone shots.
One wrong step near a restless volcano can turn an adventure into disaster within seconds.
