Tourists escape unscathed as Raung volcano erupts during summit visit in Indonesia
A sudden eruption of Mount Raung startled a group of tourists hiking near its summit on December 24, 2024. The hikers managed to escape unharmed as ash plumes soared to a height of 8 km (26 000 feet) above sea level (a.s.l.).
A strong eruption of Mount Raung in East Java, Indonesia, occurred on December 24, 2024, while tourists were hiking on its summit.
Ash plumes were expelled to an altitude of 8 km (26 000 feet) a.s.l., as confirmed by the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC). The hikers who were on the volcano during the eruption successfully evacuated the area without sustaining injuries.
An earlier advisory reported ash plumes reaching 7 km (23 000 feet) a.s.l. and moving northeast at 18 km/h (11 mph).
Authorities maintain an exclusion zone of 3 km (1.9 miles) around the summit and urged aviation stakeholders to stay alert for potential disruptions.
Mount Raung stands at 3 260 m (11 000 feet) a.s.l. and is one of Java’s most active stratovolcanoes.
The volcano features a 2 km (1.2 miles) wide caldera and lies within the Sunda Volcanic Arc. It is surrounded by a dense population with over 8.1 million people residing within a 100 km (62 miles) radius and 582 000 within 30 km (19 miles) of the summit.
Raung has a history of 69 confirmed eruptions during the Holocene epoch. Recent activity includes eruptions in 2022 and 2020 with Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) levels of 2 and 1.
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Reference:
1 Raung volcano – GVP – Accessed on December 30, 2024
Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.
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