Indonesia says 20 hikers trapped after volcano eruption

Indonesian authorities are rushing to rescue ​20 hikers after the eruption of Mount ‌Dukono on Halmahera island on Friday, a local rescue agency official told Reuters.

Mount Dukono, located in ​North Maluku province, erupted on Friday ​at 07:41 a.m. local time (1041 GMT ⁠Thursday), spewing volcanic ash as high as ​10 km (6.21 miles) into the sky, the ​country's volcanology agency said.

The agency maintained the alert status at the mountain at its third highest ​level, agency head Lana Saria said in ​a statement.

Iwan Ramdani, the head of the local rescue ‌agency, ⁠told Reuters that they have deployed dozens of personnel, including police, to search for the 20 hikers trapped by the ​eruption.

Nine of the ​hikers are ⁠Singaporean and the rest are Indonesians, Iwan said.

Authorities warned residents to ​refrain from any activities within 4 ​km (2.5 ⁠miles) of the crater.

The volcanology agency also warned of the risks of volcanic mudflow ⁠when ​it rains.

There are not ​yet any reports of flight disruptions caused by the eruption.