Thousands flee eruption threat from Bali volcano

Thousands flee eruption threat from Bali volcano

DENPASAR: Thousands of villagers on the Indonesian resort island of Bali huddled yesterday in temporary shelters, sports centres and with relatives, fearing Mount Agung will erupt for the first time in more than half a century.

Authorities raised the volcano's alert status to the highest level on Friday following a "tremendous increase" in seismic activity. Its last eruption in 1963 killed 1,100 people.

The highest-level alert prompted the Thai embassy in Jakarta to post on Facebook yesterday, urging Thais to avoid travelling to northern Bali.

"There are about 30-40 Thai nationals living in Bali. Most of them live downtown, which is about 3-4 hours of travelling from the volcano. However, those who want to go to Bali are advised to closely follow the news and check their routes," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Busadee Santipitaks.

Villager Made Suda said he left overnight with 25 family members and as much food, clothes, cooking equipment and bedding they could carry to stay in the Klungkung sports centre.

"I feel grief and fear, feel sad about leaving the village and leaving four cows because it's empty. Everyone has evacuated," he said.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said no one should be within 9km of the crater and within 12km to the north, northeast, southeast and south-southwest where lava flows or rapidly moving white-hot ash clouds from an eruption could reach.

Waskita Sutadewa, spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency in Karangasem district around Mount Agung, said nearly 11,300 villagers have been officially evacuated.

He said the real number of displaced might be two or three times that because many have voluntarily fled their homes.

Officials have said there is no current danger to people in other parts of Bali, a popular tourist island famous for its surfing, beaches and elegant Hindu culture.

In 1963, the 3,031-metre Agung hurled ash as high as 20km, according to volcanologists, and remained active for about a year. Lava travelled 7.5km and ash reached capital Jakarta, about 1,000km away.

The mountain, 72km to the northeast of the tourist hotspot of Kuta, is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia. 

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