According to DVGHM, an eruption began at Egon on 25 July at 2240, consisting of loud rumbling sounds, a strong sulfur scent, and explosions that rose to 1-1.5 km above the summit. A thick, black plume drifted NNW from the volcano. Interpretations of seismic data revealed that the eruption lasted about 2.5 hours. According to the Darwin VAAC, a plume was visible on satellite imagery. DVGHM reported that about 630 residents near Egon self evacuated from the villages of Egon, Nangatobong, and Itoper. According to a news article, about 1,400 people evacuated. At 1500 on 26 July seismographs recorded nearly continuous explosions produced plumes to ~250 m above the volcano.

Geological Summary. Gunung Egon, also known as Namang, sits within the narrow section of eastern Flores Island. The barren, sparsely vegetated summit region has a 350-m-wide, 200-m-deep crater that sometimes contains a lake. Other small crater lakes occur on the flanks. A lava dome forms the southern summit. Solfataric activity occurs on the crater wall and rim and on the upper S flank. Reports of eruptive activity prior to explosive eruptions beginning in 2004 are unconfirmed. Emissions were often observed above the summit during 1888-1892. Strong emissions in 1907 reported by Sapper (1917) was considered by the Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World (Neumann van Padang, 1951) to be an historical eruption, but Kemmerling (1929) noted that this was likely confused with an eruption on the same date and time from Lewotobi Lakilaki.

Sources: Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG, also known as CVGHM), Agence France-Presse (AFP), Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)