Bali volcano alert raised to highest level amid the fear of “an imminent major eruption”

Bali, November 27: Bali’s Mt. Agung volcano has created terror in the area after its volcanic activity suddenly started from last Tuesday. Mt.Agung has been deep thick layers of ashes into the atmosphere leading to shut down of Bali’s main airport. Amid the fear of an imminent major eruption, Indonesian authorities have raised the Mt Agung volcano alert to the highest level.

Hence the evacuation area has also been expanded from 7.5 km to 10 km. 100,000 people need to evacuate the area. Already almost 40,000 people have moved away and many people moved way before the warning came.

“Not all residents have evacuated yet. There are those (who haven’t evacuated) because their farm animals haven’t been evacuated yet. There are those who feel they are safe,” said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB).

The increasing activity has caused a shutdown of Bali's Ngurah Rai airport from Monday to Tuesday morning. Due to airport closure, more than 50,000 travelers are stranded.

The Volcano erupted in Bali for the first time in 54 years in September 2017. Then 140,000 people were forced to evacuate and the again were told to return as volcanic activity decreased in October. The Volcano erupted in Bali on Tuesday for the first time after September. Within a 7.5 kilometer radius of the volcano, the people have been advised to stay away from areas. The volcano last erupted in 1963 killing nearly 1,600 people.