Indonesia finds two Singaporeans missing after eruption

Indonesia Volcano Eruption
The eruption of Indonesia's Mount Dukono spewed ash and debris as high as 10km into the sky. -AP

Indonesian authorities have found two Singaporeans who went missing after Mount Dukono erupted on the Pacific island of ‌Halmahera, officials say, but it's unclear whether they are alive.

"We have identified the ‌co-ordinates of their locations. It's around the crater rim," Iwan Ramdani, the head of Indonesia's rescue agency, told Reuters on Saturday.

"This is on drone surveillance and is consistent with witness accounts."

Both appeared to be 20 to 30 metres from the rim of the ‌main crater, ‌said disaster ⁠mitigation agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari.

Rescuers have not found an Indonesian ​missing since the volcano in North Maluku province began erupting on Friday, spewing ash as high as 10km.

Survivors told police the three missing people were dead, police chief Erlichson Pasaribu said on Friday.

At least 100 rescuers, military and police personnel, as well as ⁠two thermal drones, have been deployed, ‌focusing ​the search around the crater, covering an area about 700 metres, Iwan said.

Evacuations were hampered ​by extreme terrain ‌and continued eruptions.

Authorities on Friday evacuated 17 people - seven Singaporeans and 10 Indonesians.

Singapore's ​ministry of foreign affairs and embassy in Jakarta were working with the Indonesian authorities to gather information and provide consular assistance and support to the affected ​Singaporeans ​and their families, the ministry ​said in a statement.

The volcanology agency is maintaining ‌the third-highest alert level for Mount Dukono, said Lana Saria, the agency's head, adding that residents and tourists were advised not to do any activities within 4km of the crater.

There were no reports of flight disruptions caused by the eruption.

Indonesia sits ​on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an area of high seismic activity atop various ​tectonic plates.