Indonesian rescuers retrieve body from Mount Dukono as search continues

Rescuers have recovered the body of an Indonesian woman who was caught in a volcanic eruption on Mount Dukono on Indonesia’s remote island of Halmahera, officials have said. Search operations continued on Saturday for the bodies of two Singaporeans. The dead hikers were among 20 who set out to scale the 1,355-metre (4,445ft) volcano in defiance of safety restrictions and became stranded when Dukono erupted early on Friday, spewing a thick ash column about 6 miles (10km) into the air. The woman, identified by authorities only as Enjel and known as a local hiker, was found on Saturday afternoon, about 50 metres from the rim of the main crater, said Iwan Ramdani, who heads the local search and rescue office. The location of the two Singaporean climbers remains unknown, and rescue efforts are continuing amid high volcanic activity, he said. “The rescue efforts went through a situation that required careful calculation and a well-planned evacuation strategy,” Ramdani said, “We took into account the potential escalation of volcanic activity as well as the safety of all personnel.” Since the eruption, 17 hikers have been safely evacuated, including seven Singaporean nationals and two Indonesians who joined the rescue operation and provided information on the climbing routes of the victims. Ten of those evacuated suffered minor burn injuries. Rescuers recover a victim of the eruption of Mount Dukono on Saturday. …