Mt. Dukono expedition that left 3 dead advertised as beginner-friendly

SINGAPORE – The expedition to North Maluku was advertised to run for 11 days and was rated beginner-friendly in terms of difficulty, although some preparatory training was necessary.

From April 30 to May 10, a group of hikers would climb three volcanoes in the Indonesian province – “two of which are constantly erupting” – said a post put up in late 2025 on the Instagram page of travel agency The Outside.

While the volcanoes were not named, one of them had been constantly erupting since 1993, noted the post, which was removed on May 11.

READ: 3 hikers dead in Indonesian volcanic eruption – official

That volcano – Mount Dukono on Halmahera island – erupted on May 8, claiming the lives of two Singaporeans and an Indonesian.

Ms Angel Krishela Pradita, 28, the Indonesian hiker, was the first to be found on May 9.

The two Singaporeans – Mr Timothy Heng, 30, the sole proprietor of The Outside, and Mr Shahin Muhrez Abdul Hamid, 27 – were found the following day.

Their bodies were discovered next to each other about 50m from the summit, buried under debris.

More than 150 people were mobilized for the rescue operation, which lasted for two days.

The three casualties were part of a larger group of 20 hikers who were on Mount Dukono when it erupted.

READ: Grim search for missing Singaporean hikers on Mount Dukono

Nine of them were Singaporeans, and the seven survivors safely returned to Singapore on May 10.

Continuously erupting since 1933, according to the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Programme, Mount Dukono is considered an active volcano, a term geologists use for peaks that have erupted within the last 11,700 years.

In contrast, dormant volcanoes have not erupted within that time period but retain an active magma chamber, while extinct ones are entirely cut off from their magma supply and are considered the safest for recreational hiking.

Before the fatal May 8 eruption, the volcano’s last major recorded one occurred in April.

It has been placed on a Level 2 alert status since March 29. Under this alert level, which indicates heightened volcanic unrest, all public activities within a 4km radius of the crater are strictly prohibited.

Following an initial climbing ban imposed by the local authorities on April 17, the local government of North Halmahera issued an urgent letter on May 8 instructing district and village heads to permanently close all entry points to the volcano as soon as possible.

The letter, which was seen by The Straits Times, said no one is allowed to ascend the peak. The local government also barred the issuance of any climbing permits.

Agencies organising climbs were ordered to disseminate the warning to potential climbers, and the authorities stressed that anyone found flouting the rules would face legal action.

The agency responsible for organising the North Maluku expedition, The Outside, has built its brand around taking clients on extreme, off-the-beaten-path adventures.

According to a search on the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority database, The Outside was incorporated on Oct 8, 2024, and registered at a residential address. Records show that Mr Heng did not hold any other directorships.

The agency’s expeditions, which were all personally led by Mr Heng, ranged from jungle treks in Sumatra to high-altitude climbs in Nepal. For 2026, the agency had advertised nine international trips, including itineraries in South Africa and India.

Following the climb in Indonesia, Mr Heng was scheduled to head to Ladakh, India, to guide clients up Kang Yatse, a peak about 6,250m above sea level. /dl