Breaking: Mount Raung Erupts, Spewing Thick Black Smoke
A viral video on social media and messaging apps shows Mount Raung belching out thick, dark ash clouds. The local disaster mitigation agency (BPBD) confirms that the volcano, situated at the border of Banyuwangi, Bondowoso, and Jember, has indeed erupted.
The eruption occurred today, December 24, 2024, at 09:30 WIB, according to the Volcanological and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG). It resulted in a column of ash reaching approximately 2,000 meters above the peak, with a dark, solid intensity moving eastward.
Seismographic data recorded the eruption with a maximum amplitude of 32 mm and a duration of 282 seconds.
The video, which is about 37 seconds long, clearly shows thick white smoke accompanied by swirling black mist rising from the mountain peak. It was uploaded by a user named "Tretan Sukosari" on Facebook yesterday, with the description "this morning, approaching noon."
In the video, a voice states, "There’s black mist, specifically on December 24, 2024, a Tuesday… That’s all for today’s report. Stay vigilant, people of Bondowoso and surrounding areas."
Probo Nugroho, the village head of Sumberwringin, confirms the eruption, stating, "Yes, it’s true. We ask residents to stay calm and await further information from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and Bondowoso BPBD."
Sigit Purnomo, the operations head of the Bondowoso BPBD, explains that the black mist seen in the video is due to the Mount Raung eruption. He adds that information from the BMKG’s friends’ status mentions it’s a mild eruption.
Purnomo plans to coordinate with the BMKG and initially prepare to distribute masks while monitoring the direction of the black mist. He says, "We’ll distribute masks, that’s the initial step. We’ll see which direction the black mist is heading."
