The Giant Bali Volcano
More than 120,000 people have fled their homes on the Indonesian island of Bali, fearful that a rumbling volcano could erupt at any time, disaster officials said.
Mount Agung, located 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the resort hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August and threatening to erupt for the first time since 1963 – a potential blow to the country’s lucrative tourism industry.
The volcano’s alert status was raised to the highest level last week after it spewed white smoke and sent tremors through the area.
Officials at an evacuation centre in the Klungkung district said 122,490 people had left their homes, taking refuge at nearly 500 makeshift shelters or moving in with relatives.
Around 62,000 people lived in the danger zone before the evacuations, according to Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, but residents just outside the area have also left their homes out of fear.
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Authorities have imposed a 12km exclusion zone around Mount Agung, which has been threatening to erupt for the first time since 1963
Despite the significant increase in estimated evacuees, the government said it was prepared.
‘In general the evacuation is going well, the logistics supply is sufficient for the evacuees’ needs,’ Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the agency spokesman, said Thursday.
This week, Indonesia’s national disaster agency has sent face masks, mattresses, blankets and tents for evacuees, who have also been provided with food.
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