The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG), part of the Geological Agency under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, has issued a warning against climbing Mount Dukono. This advisory follows reports of dozens of climbers narrowly escaping an eruption.
“The public is strongly advised not to climb or visit Mount Dukono, as volcanic activity remains elevated,” stated Priatin Hadi Wijaya, the head of PVMBG, on Monday, August 19, 2024.
Read more: Mount Etna Erupts, Spewing Ash up To 32,000 Feet Into The Sky
On August 17, X user @Heraloebss shared a video of climbers scrambling to descend as the volcano in Halmahera Regency erupted. “They hurried down as the mountain erupted,” the account noted.
Priatin explained that the volcano is currently at Level II activity status, classified as an alert, leading the PVMBG to enforce a restriction on entering within a 3-kilometer radius of Mount Dukono’s crater.
“Dukono is still erupting vigorously, with eruption columns reaching heights of 100 to 1,000 meters,” he said.
He also noted that the volcano has erupted thousands of times this month. “Between August 1 and 19, 2024, there were 2,387 recorded seismic eruptions,” Priatin reported. “This indicates that Mount Dukono’s activity remains high.”
