A powerful eruption of Mount Dukono on Indonesia's eastern Halmahera island on Friday has left three hikers dead, including two foreigners, while 10 others remain missing.

The volcano spewed a massive ash cloud approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) into the air, complicating rescue efforts and prompting warnings for nearby residential areas.

Police chief Erlichson Pasaribu of North Halmahera district told Kompas TV that "there are three dead, two foreigners and one resident of Ternate" island.

While seven individuals managed to descend the mountain safely, 10 people are still unaccounted for in a zone that was declared off-limits to visitors last month following an increase in volcanic activity.

Indonesia's BNPB disaster mitigation agency further reported that five climbers sustained injuries during the eruption.

"The joint teams from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) continue to conduct sweeps and evacuations of climbers in the mountain area as volcanic activity increases," agency spokesman Abdul Muhari stated.

Erlichson noted that the rescue operation is navigating rough terrain only partially accessible by vehicles, adding that "the rest of the way (the victims) need to be carried on a stretcher. And there is still rumbling from the eruption. It slows down our evacuation."

Lana Saria, head of the government Geology Agency, reported that the early-morning eruption was marked by a "booming sound" and a thick smoke column leaning northward.

She warned that "residential areas and Tobelo City need to be vigilant for... volcanic ash rain," noting that the smoke poses a danger to public health and risks disrupting transportation services.

Indonesia, situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, frequently experiences seismic and volcanic activity and is home to nearly 130 active volcanoes.

Mount Dukono is currently on level two of Indonesia's four-tiered alert system.

Since December, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has recommended that tourists stay at least four kilometres (2.5 miles) away from the Malupang Warirang Crater.

According to Erlichson, the hikers had ignored social media appeals and warning signs posted at the trail entrance.

"Local residents understand and don't want to climb. Many (hikers) are foreign tourists who wish to create (social media) content," he observed regarding the tragedy.

Source: AFP