ERT NHM Joins Joint SAR Operation to Evacuate Victims of Dukono Volcano Eruption


All individuals previously reported missing following the eruption of Mount Dukono in North Halmahera, North Maluku, have been located and safely evacuated. The outcome was the result of a coordinated search and rescue (SAR) operation involving multiple parties. Among them was the Emergency Response Team (ERT) of PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals (NHM), deployed to the area on Saturday, May 9, 2026, one day after the deadly eruption of May 8, which claimed lives and left grieving families in its wake.

The NHM rescue team, led by Zakaria Barham, together with Aristo Elly and Fans Daniel Ambeua, operated on the ground alongside personnel from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), National Police (Polri), National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), North Halmahera Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), MAPALA, and local volunteers and community members. Working under a unified command, the teams coordinated their efforts to expedite the rescue of individuals trapped on the slopes of Mount Dukono.

Throughout the operation, the ERT NHM carried out a series of critical tasks: tracking and mapping victim locations, conducting area sweeps, administering first aid, and evacuating victims to safe zones, all under challenging terrain and adverse weather conditions.



ERT NHM Team Commander Zakaria Barham emphasized the team’s unwavering commitment while prioritizing safety:

“Amid harsh terrain and unfavorable weather, we continued to operate alongside the joint SAR teams, maintaining strict attention to safety. We persevered through numerous obstacles in the hope of locating all missing individuals,” Zakaria said.



The combined team’s efforts yielded gradual but meaningful results. On May 9, 2026, the first victim, Engel Krishela Pradita, was recovered and evacuated, having not survived the eruption. The following day, May 10, the remaining two victims were recovered under the same circumstances. With all three victims successfully evacuated, every individual previously reported missing has now been located and transferred to the emergency response post.

NHM’s participation in this operation reflects the company’s genuine commitment to the communities and regions where it operates, going beyond corporate obligation to contribute meaningfully to broader humanitarian efforts. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with authorities and volunteers, NHM’s capacity and resources were put toward a single objective: leaving no victim behind.