The discovery of two missing tourists, who were Singaporean nationals, has been made in Indonesia after a volcanic eruption on Halmahera island at Mount Dukono. The bodies were found embracing under rubble, amid challenging conditions caused by the rugged terrain and heavy rainfall, as reported by Indonesia’s rescue agency chief, Iwan Ramdani.

Following the recovery operation, the bodies were transported to a local medical facility for further examination. Despite the evacuation efforts, the volcano has continued to emit ash since Friday, complicating the situation. Debris was observed reaching heights of up to six miles during the eruption.

Despite numerous warnings on social media, some individuals persisted in attempting to climb the volcano, motivated by the urge to generate online content, stated North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu. Despite the restricted status of the mountain and its high alert level, they disregarded the prohibition.

A search involving approximately 150 individuals, including the use of thermal drones, was conducted on Sunday morning around the mountain’s crater. It was confirmed that one Indonesian hiker was deceased, while 17 individuals, comprising seven Singaporeans and ten Indonesians, survived. The rescued Singaporeans are scheduled to return home on Sunday, as per the country’s Foreign Ministry.

The timeline for repatriating the bodies of the deceased individuals remains uncertain. Indonesia’s volcanology agency reported four additional eruptions on Sunday, one of which propelled ash nearly a mile into the sky. Due to the heightened alert level, activity within 2.5 miles of the volcano’s crater has been prohibited at Mount Dukono.