Bali: Threat-level raised amid fears of major volcanic eruption
Mount Agung, a volcano located in Bali, Indonesia has been showing all signs of a major eruption coming. Amid heightened fears, Indonesian authorities have raised the disaster alert to the highest level. Additionally, they have widened the evacuation zone close to the airport. In its last eruption in 1963, Mount Agung had claimed at least 1,000 lives. Let's see what's happening on the ground.
Mount Agung: All signs point to an imminent eruption
Indonesia's National Board for Disaster Management, in a recent Facebook post stated that "rays of fire" were increasingly being observed at night. "The potential for a larger eruption is imminent," it adds. Reportedly, dark smoke was observed billowing up to 3,400m above the mountain summit. Additionally, volcanologists confirmed that magma (molten rock) had been detected close to Mount Agung's surface.
Authorities prepare for a major eruption
Authorities had initially implemented mass evacuations after the volcano started showing signs of an imminent eruption in September. They have also distributed masks to residents and ordered people, within a 10 km exclusion zone around the volcano, to evacuate. Sutopo Purwo, spokesperson for the national disaster management agency also warned residents to stay away from rivers to avoid cold lava.
How is the imminent disaster affecting Indonesia?
The island is popular with tourists. However, tourism sector has taken a major hit amid fears of an impending disaster. According to official estimates, the island's tourism and productivity sector lost at least $10m during the mass evacuation in September. Moreover, thousands of people continue to reside in temporary shelters. Experts suggest that it is still difficult to predict how the situation would unfold.
