Mount Dukono in Malut Erupts, Alert Level Status, Tobelo City at Risk of Impact

The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has revealed that volcanic activity at Mount Dukono on Halmahera Island in North Maluku Province remains high and is at Level II or Alert status. The mountain, located in the Galela and Tobelo sub-districts, recorded a temporary decrease in eruption activity in August 2025.

Acting Head of the Geological Agency Lana Saria stated that Mount Dukono has again experienced an intensive increase in magmatic explosive eruptions. Since the beginning of 30 March 2026, there have been 199 eruptions with eruption column heights of 50-400 metres from the summit.

“The latest eruption was recorded on 8 May 2026 at 07.41 WIT, accompanied by weak to strong rumbling sounds, recorded on the seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 34 mm and duration of 967.56 seconds,” she said in an official statement on Friday (8/5/2026).

She noted that the observed eruption column was white, grey to black in colour with thick intensity and a height of around 10,000 metres above the summit. Meanwhile, the ash dispersal direction tends towards the north.

Therefore, Lana said that residential areas and Tobelo City need to be wary of the risk of volcanic ashfall. This condition increases risks to public health and disruptions to daily activities, including transportation and environmental cleanliness.

“Visual eruption activity and seismicity have been observed to increase again since 29 March 2026, averaging 95 eruption events,” she said.