Authorities are working to rescue 20 hikers after a volcanic eruption in Indonesia.Mount Dukono, located on the island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, erupted at 7:41am local time on Friday morning, sending ash 10 kilometres into the sky, the country's volcanology agency said.Iwan Ramdani, the head of the local rescue agency, told Reuters that dozens of personnel had been deployed, including police, to search for the 20 hikers trapped by the eruption.Nine of the hikers were Singaporean and the rest were Indonesians, he said."Our team is on its way Based on reports, there are about 20 people being searched for," he told AFP.He confirmed the 20 were all hikers, even though the area had been closed to visitors since April 17 after scientists observed an increase in volcanic activity.The volcanology agency maintained the alert status at the mountain at its third highest level, agency head Lana Saria said in a statement.She said the eruption could interrupt travel, but there were no disruptions at this stage.The volcanology agency also warned of the risks of volcanic mudflow when it rains.Since December, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has recommended that tourists and climbers do not come within 4km of the volcano's Malupang Warirang Crater.Reuters/AFP