A volcanic eruption in Indonesia on Friday killed at least three hikers and left several others missing, setting off a search and rescue mission to evacuate climbers from the area, officials said.
Mount Dukono erupted around 7:40 a.m., causing a booming sound and sending a column of thick smoke about six miles above the summit, the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia said. Officials said on Friday afternoon that volcanic activity there was increasing.
There were 20 hikers on the mountain when the volcano erupted, Erlichson Pasaribu, a local police chief, told Kompas TV, an Indonesian television station. He said three were later found dead and that seven others had climbed down safely.
Indonesia’s disaster agency said in a separate statement that at least five hikers were injured by the eruption, and that rescuers were searching the mountain and trying to evacuate climbers.
Mount Dukono has been active for decades, erupting nearly 200 times over the past month, according to the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia.
Mr. Pasaribu said that the hikers had been notified that climbing the mountain was forbidden because the authorities had sent an alert warning that the volcano was active.
This is a developing story.
