Bodies of two Singaporeans went missing after volcano eruption in Indonesia was found near Mount Dukono.
According to Reuters, the local rescue agency said that the two Singaporean nationals missing for days were confirmed dead on Sunday, May 10, from the eruption of Mount Dukono on Indonesia's Halmahera island
Agency head Iwan Ramdani told the outlet that rescuers found the bodies around the crater rim, and evacuation was under way
"Evacuation of the bodies is still hampered by eruptions that continue to occur and bad weather," Iwan said, adding rain was falling in the area.
Some 150 personnel with two thermal drones have been deployed since Sunday morning, Iwan said, with the focus of the search around 100-150 metres (350-500 feet) of the crater rim.
Mount Dukono in North Maluku province bordering the Pacific Ocean began erupting on Friday, spewing ash as high as 10 km (6 miles). It has continued to erupt at a lower scale.
The area around the crater was still blanketed in volcanic ash, Iwan said, adding that the search area is about 1.25 km (0.8 mile) from the last known location of the victims.
Rescuers had found backpacks suspected to belong to the two Singaporeans, and the authorities on Saturday confirmed that one Indonesian hiker, who had gone missing, was dead.
Seventeen people, including seven Singaporeans and 10 Indonesians, survived the incident.
Singapore's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the seven surviving Singaporeans will fly home on Sunday.
However, it was unclear when the bodies of the two who died will be returned.
