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Thousands evacuated as volcano rumbles on Indonesian holiday spot Bali

DENPASAR (Indonesia) — Thousands of residents were evacuated from villages near an active volcano on the Indonesian island of Bali, officials said on Friday (Sep 22), as seismic tremors rattled some areas and smoke rose above one of the world's most popular tourist spots.

Villagers resting after being evacuated during the raised alert levels for the volcano on Mount Agung on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Friday (Sept 22). Photo: AFP

Villagers resting after being evacuated during the raised alert levels for the volcano on Mount Agung on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Friday (Sept 22). Photo: AFP

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DENPASAR (Indonesia) — Thousands of residents were evacuated from villages near an active volcano on the Indonesian island of Bali, officials said on Friday (Sep 22), as seismic tremors rattled some areas and smoke rose above one of the world's most popular tourist spots.

The alert status for Mount Agung in eastern Bali was at 3, one level below the highest, and authorities warned tourists and residents to avoid camping or hiking within a 6 km radius of the crater.

“Volcanic activity remains high and there are indications of magma rising to the surface and causing tremors,” said Mr Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency.

"There should be zero public activity within the specified radius in case there is an eruption," he added.

However, flights at Bali's international airport were operating as normal and there was little disruption to tourism operators across the rest of the island, authorities said.

Nearly 6,000 people have been evacuated so far and that number was expected to rise, officials said.

Some residents in villages at the foot of Mount Agung said they were reluctant to leave immediately. Others gathered to watch the volcano.

“I’m here with my husband. We need to feed the animals so that's what we're doing first,” villager Wayan Suarda told national television station tvOne.

Others packed their belongings into trucks for evacuation, while more stopped to watch as clouds of white smoke rose from the crater, which is around 3,000m above sea level.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Friday issued a travel warning saying that an eruption of Mount Agung would impact on air travel in the region.

Curtin University geologist Chris Elders told Perth Now that a volcanic eruption can happen at any time and it is hard to predict exactly when this would happen.

Mt Agung has not erupted since 1964, but monitors have picked up hundreds of tremors daily around the volcano.

On Thursday (Sept 21), there were 676 tremors and another 178 tremors during a six-hour period on Friday, local media reported.

“That’s an indication that there is a lot of material moving about,” Prof Edlers told Perth Now.

“The fact that it’s happening all the time, means there are a lot of liquids and gases below the surface, and that is an indication that there could be an eruption.

“But it’s not definite.”

Indonesia straddles the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, where several tectonic plates meet and cause 90 per cent of the world's seismic activity, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes, more than any other country.

A series of eruptions at Mount Agung between 1963 and 1964 killed more than 1,000 people and injured hundreds. AGENCIES

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