Two Singaporeans confirmed dead in Indonesia volcano eruption, bodies found

JAKARTA- Two Singaporean nationals missing for days were confirmed dead on Sunday from the eruption of Mount Dukono on Indonesia's Halmahera island, the local rescue agency said.

Rescuers found the bodies around the crater rim, and evacuation was under way, agency head Iwan Ramdani told Reuters.

"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. The seven surviving Singaporeans will fly home on Sunday, Singapore's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It was unclear when the bodies of the two who died will be returned.

Indonesia's volcanology agency reported at least four eruptions as of Sunday, with one sending ash 1.3 km high. The agency is maintaining the third-highest alert level for Mount Dukono and bans any activities within 4 km (2.5 miles) of the crater.

(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Editing by Kim Coghill and William Mallard)