Mount Agung on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali belched smoke as high as 1,500 meters above its summit sparking an exodus from settlements near the mountain.
/AFP
A rumbling volcano on the Indonesian resort island of Bali spewed smoke hundreds of meters into the air Saturday, officials said, just days after thousands were forced to flee over fears it would erupt.
Mount Agung belched smoke as high as 1,500 meters above its summit, twice as high as on Tuesday when smoke sparked an exodus from settlements near the mountain.
There are fears the volcano could erupt for the first time since 1963, when nearly 1,600 people died.
People living within 7.5 kilometers of the mountain have been told to evacuate, senior volcanologist Gede Suantika said, advising residents to remain calm.
It comes after the volcano stirred to life in September, forcing 140,000 people to leave the area.
Many returned home after the volcano’s activity waned, but fresh smoke has sparked a further exodus and around 25,000 people have been evacuated to more than 200 temporary shelters.