The body of the female Indonesian hiker was found buried under volcanic ash about 600m from the crater, according to Mr Iwan Ramdani, head of the Ternate search and rescue office. Rescuers identified two nearby mounds of volcanic sand within about 3m of where the Indonesian woman's body was found. The two mounds are strongly suspected to be linked to the missing Singaporean hikers, Indonesia's disaster agency said.
The mounds have been marked with GPS coordinates for excavation when search operations resume on May 10. Preliminary information indicated the two Singaporeans were about 20m to 30m from the rim of the main crater, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported. The cause of the Indonesian hiker's death has not been confirmed, and the condition of the missing Singaporeans remains unknown.
Mount Dukono erupted several times on May 9, sending ash as high as 3,000m above the summit, according to Indonesia's Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG). Seismic activity remained intense, indicating the eruption was still ongoing, PVMBG said. The search was briefly suspended after heavy rain fell around the crater, Mr Budiman Djoma, head of Mamuya village, said.
Around 17 people, believed to be other hikers, had been rescued by May 9, Indonesian authorities reported, though agencies continued to release differing figures as rescue efforts unfolded. Families of the Singaporean hikers were advised not to travel to Ternate yet due to volcanic activity and logistical challenges, a family member of one of the Singaporean hikers said. In a separate incident on Mount Rinjani, Juliana Marins fell from the trail and was found dead after four days.
She disappeared from a guided early morning hike around 6:30 on Saturday morning, slipping off the rim into the crater. She survived the fall and began calling for help. On Sunday, a day after her initial slip, she fell further down the cliff and authorities were unable to find her.
On Monday morning, drone footage helped locate her again several hundred meters further down. Rescue teams attempted to descend but weather prevented success. The soft sandy terrain prevented rescuers from using ropes, Muhammad Hariyadi, head of local rescue efforts, told Reuters.
On Tuesday, rescuers launched a third attempt and found her unresponsive 600m below the trail. She had been trapped on the volcanic slope for four days without supplies, possibly injured. Indonesian authorities reported that rescuers had delivered food and water to Marins, but the Brazilian embassy in Jakarta contested the claim that food and water were delivered.
Marins' family believes she was without food or water the entire time, according to posts on Instagram. After finding her body, rescuers had to retreat due to worsening weather and plan to return on June 25 to retrieve her remains. Heavy rain and cloudy conditions are expected to continue and may prevent retrieval, according to Indonesian authorities.
The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry closed hiking routes on Rinjani out of respect for the family and to simplify rescue efforts, officials said.