An extraordinary footage captured a group of around a dozen climbers fleeing down Mount Dukono, an active volcano in Indonesia, as it erupts, sending ash up to 8,000 feet high.
A warning not to climb Dukono was issued by Indonesia's national disaster agency.
The climb was unauthorized and the climbers were put on a climbing blacklist by Indonesian authorities.
Indonesia is home to over 400 volcanoes, with at least 129 still active and 65 classified as dangerous.
The Dukono Volcanic Observation Post reported the climbers were lucky to escape the ash eruption. The volcanic activity status remains at level II, with recommendations to stay at least three kilometers away from the summit.
Dukono has been spewing smoke and ash for over thirty years.
Being part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia sees high seismic and volcanic activity, with frequent earthquakes. The tragedy of the Marapi volcano, where 21 climbers died in December, serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by active volcanoes in the country.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: nypost, elcomercio, elmundo, entrelineas, eleconomista, infobae, ettoday, heraldodemexico, tiempo, metrotvnews, heraldo, haberaktuel, hurriyet.