Indonesian authorities have launched an urgent mission to rescue at least 20 hikers caught up in a volcano eruption on Mount Dukono.
According to officials, nine of the hikers are Singaporean.
The volcano, located on Halmahera Island, erupted on Friday at 07.41am local time, spewing volcanic ash as high as 10km above the crater, said the country's volcanology agency.
Officials urged residents and tourists to avoid approaching the crater within a 4km radius while the volcano agency also warned of the risks of volcanic mudflow when it rains.
The agency maintained the alert status at the mountain at its third highest level, agency head Lana Saria said in a statement.
There are not yet any reports of flight disruptions caused by the eruption.
Iwan Ramdani, the head of the local rescue agency, said that they have deployed dozens of personnel, including police, to search for the 20 hikers trapped by the eruption.
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