About 10,000 people were evacuated by Friday on the Indonesian island of Bali, where officials have issued the highest level alert for a volcanic eruption, the BBC reported. People have been urged to stay at least 9 km away from Mount Agung, whose last eruption in 1963 killed more than a thousand people.
The highest level alert means an eruption is imminent.
Tremors have been reported and the magma seems to be rising to the surface, officials were quoted as saying. A total of 58 shallow volcanic tremors, 318 deep volcanic tremors and 44 local tectonic tremors occurred between midnight and noon on Friday, according to the Jakarta Post.
Australia’s Foreign Affairs Department has issued an advisory for travel to the popular tourist island. “Local authorities have temporarily suspended all outdoor activities, such as hiking and camping, in proximity to the crater,” the department said.
About 1.2 million Australians visited Indonesia in 2016, The Guardian reported.
“Volcanic activity remains high, and there are indications of magma rising to the surface and causing tremors,” Sutopo Purwo Nugroho of the National Disaster Management Agency was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Flights at Bali’s international airport are operating normally as of now, authorities said.
Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes, more than any other country.
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