At 7:40 a.m. On May 8, Reza Selang was capturing what he believed would be a routine piece of footage. The guide, 35, stood on the slopes of Mount Dukono on the remote island of Halmahera in eastern Indonesia, operating a drone to film the grey, imposing crater of the volcano.
For days, the mountain had appeared dormant. Local reports had indicated no unusual activity, and the group of Singaporean climbers Selang was guiding had spent the previous night camped near the summit. One minute later, the silence broke. At 7:41 a.m., Mount Dukono erupted, sending a rain of burning debris and volcanic rock across the crater rim.
The event transformed a carefully planned expedition into a desperate struggle for survival. In a first media interview since the tragedy, Selang recounted the harrowing moments he attempted to rescue two climbers before being forced to flee for his own life, leaving them pinned beneath a massive boulder.
The incident has since sparked an investigation into the safety protocols of the climb, revealing a critical disconnect between official government warnings and the information available to guides on the ground in North Maluku.
A rescue attempt in the rain of fire
When the eruption began, Selang was positioned slightly lower on the slope. His first instinct was to use his drone to survey the summit and determine if any of the climbers were still in the danger zone. On his screen, he saw a devastating sight: one of the Singaporean hikers lying motionless on the ground.
Another climber, the organizer of the expedition, had already rushed to his friend’s side. Selang scrambled uphill, fighting through a barrage of volcanic rocks to join them. He arrived to find the organizer performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the collapsed man.
The effort worked. the injured climber regained consciousness, but he was unable to stand or move. Selang and the organizer attempted to drag him away from the crater’s edge. Selang gripped the man’s legs while the organizer supported the upper body. The heat emanating from the volcanic soil was so intense that it burned through Selang’s trousers, leaving severe burns on the back of both his legs.
“I could only stand there and watch,” Selang said, recalling the moment a large boulder slammed into the slope and bounced toward them, pinning both Singaporeans between the rocks. “I had no strength left to move the rocks.”
Unable to shift the debris and facing further eruptions, Selang was forced to retreat down the mountain to safety.
A year of planning and a critical warning gap
The tragedy was the culmination of a journey planned with meticulous detail. Roughly a year prior, Selang—a former entrepreneur who transitioned to full-time guiding in 2023—was contacted by the Singaporean organizer. The man ran a travel community in Singapore and had become fascinated by Mount Dukono’s near-constant activity after seeing videos online.
The two spent months coordinating the logistics for a trip to North Maluku, a region more renowned for its cloves than international tourism. Selang drafted a formal contract that included a detailed itinerary, required gear lists, and force majeure clauses. Each participant paid 13 million rupiah (approximately S$1,000) for the expedition.
Despite the planning, a catastrophic failure in communication occurred regarding the mountain’s safety status. Before the final ascent, Selang consulted a local guide from the village at the foot of the volcano. He was told there had been no unusual activity.
It was only after the eruption, while being questioned by police, that Selang learned Indonesia’s volcanology agency had issued an advisory on April 17, temporarily banning climbs on Mount Dukono due to increased volcanic activity. Neither the village residents nor the local guide had informed him that the mountain was off-limits.
Timeline of the Mount Dukono Incident
| Date/Time | Event |
|---|---|
| April 17 | Indonesian volcanology agency issues advisory banning climbs on Mount Dukono. |
| April 30 | The Singaporean expedition group arrives in North Maluku. |
| May 7, 1:00 p.m. | Group begins hiking; camp is established 2km from the summit by 5:00 p.m. |
| May 8, 7:40 a.m. | Reza Selang begins drone recording; volcano appears quiet. |
| May 8, 7:41 a.m. | Mount Dukono erupts; two Singaporean climbers are trapped by falling debris. |
| May 9 | Search operations resume for three hikers; Reza Selang is released from police custody. |
Legal aftermath and ongoing search
Following the descent, Selang was treated for burns at a local hospital before being taken directly to the North Halmahera district police headquarters in Tobelo. He was detained and questioned overnight, eventually being released on the afternoon of May 9.
The investigation remains active. Selang has been instructed by authorities to remain available for further questioning as police determine whether negligence played a role in the expedition’s timing and the failure to heed the volcanology agency’s warnings.
Indonesian search and rescue personnel resumed efforts on May 9 to locate three missing hikers, including the two Singaporeans trapped during the eruption. For Selang, the physical burns are secondary to the psychological toll of the event.
“I do not know what to say,” he said. “I still cannot believe that this happened.”
This report involves a mass casualty event. Those affected by similar tragedies or experiencing distress may contact international crisis support services or local mental health professionals.
The next phase of the investigation will depend on the findings of the search and rescue teams and the official report from the North Halmahera district police regarding the breach of the April 17 climbing ban.
Join the conversation: Do you believe local guides should be held legally responsible for government advisories they weren’t informed of? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
