A local guide who survived the Dukono volcano eruption in Indonesia has come forward to share his life-or-death experience, admitting he still feels guilty toward the tourists who died and is deeply saddened by what happened.
The shocking event on the summit of Indonesia's Dukono volcano, which erupted violently while a group of hikers was near the crater rim, resulted in three tourist deaths. This has caused fear among hikers and guides alike. Recently, a local guide who survived the incident spoke out about the harrowing moments and confessed that he still feels guilty and sorrowful about what occurred.
Reza Selang, an Indonesian guide, told BBC News he cannot forget the scene from that day when he saw two tourists struck by massive boulders hurled from the volcano crater right before his eyes.
He revealed that even now his heart feels shattered, and he still struggles to believe that it really happened.
Indonesian officials confirmed the deceased included two Singaporean tourists and one Indonesian, while other group members were safely evacuated from the mountain.
Reports stated that a group of 20 hikers, consisting of Singaporean and Indonesian nationals, climbed the Dukono volcano summit despite official warnings prohibiting entry within a 4-kilometer radius of the crater.
This volcano has erupted over 200 times since late March, and since 17 April, authorities have suspended climbing permits and posted warning signs along the ascent routes.
However, Reza said he was unaware of the ban, and local guides assisting in the tour did not inform him about it either.
Reza explained that he runs a tour business in North Maluku province and was contacted by Timothy Heng, a Singaporean adventure trip organizer, to lead a group to conquer the Dukono volcano.
The group began ascending on Thursday afternoon, and along the way there were no warning signs—no smoke or tremors—everything appeared normal.
The next morning, after reaching the summit, Reza flew a drone to inspect the volcano crater and found nothing unusual.
Then, 14 hikers, including Timothy, climbed closer to the crater rim while Reza and others waited below.
At 07:40, Reza flew the drone again to check conditions, but just one minute later, the volcano erupted.
He recounted that the first eruption emitted only smoke, but about 15–20 seconds later, the second eruption expelled volcanic rocks and debris in all directions, with stones falling left and right before a giant boulder struck the tourists.
Reza said the hikers scattered and tried to flee down the mountain. While observing with the drone, he saw Shahin Muhrez bin Abdul Hamid, a Singaporean tourist, lying injured near the crater.
He rushed to help, joined by Timothy who returned to assist. Together they dragged the injured man down the summit amid falling volcanic debris. Then, a roughly 2-meter rock fell from the crater. Timothy turned back and in that instant embraced Shahin before the huge boulder hit them both, killing them on the spot.
Reza admitted he was in shock, frozen for about a minute, before regaining composure and running down the mountain to alert authorities.
Following the incident, Indonesian authorities indefinitely closed the Dukono volcano trail and warned they would prosecute anyone violating the ban. Local police stated they are investigating potential negligence by tour operators or involved parties. Reza has given a statement to police and provided drone footage as evidence.
Although he insists he was unaware of the climbing ban, Reza acknowledged he knew Dukono was at Indonesia's alert level 2, indicating eruption risk and prohibiting public access to certain areas.
Reza expressed a wish to kneel and apologize to the families of the deceased. He said feelings of guilt keep recurring with thoughts like, "If only they hadn’t climbed… if I hadn’t accepted this job, maybe none of this would have happened."
Source:BBC
Click to read related newsInternational News