Nearly 135,000 people on the Indonesian island of Bali have left their homes and taken shelter in makeshift evacuation centers after warnings Mount Agung could erupt at any time, officials said late on Thursday.
Spewing white smoke and sending tremors through the area, Mount Agung’s alert status was raised to the highest level last week. Since then, tens of thousands of villagers have abandoned their homes beneath the menacing volcano.
The Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management said many people have fled because they are unsure of their proximity to a 12km exclusion zone imposed around the crater.
Evacuees are being housed in tents, school gyms and government buildings in neighboring villages.
While there are plentiful stocks of food, water, medicines and other supplies, evacuees fear they are in for a long wait that could disrupt their livelihoods.
One farmer said he was worried that lava flows could destroy his house and farm.
“If my house is destroyed, I don’t know how to restart my life. I don’t know where my kids will sleep and all I can do now is pray,” 40-year-old Gusti Gege Astana said.
Officials also said there are about 30,000 cattle within the danger zone around the volcano, and efforts are being made to move the livestock, as they are an important source of income for many residents.
More than 1,000 people were killed in 1963 the last time Mount Agung erupted.
An older woman who survived that eruption said evacuation instructions had come much earlier this time.
“Back then we weren’t evacuated until it got really dangerous. Life went on as normal when ash and gravel was falling on us, until the big lava came out and destroyed everything,” 82-year-old Gusti Ayu Wati said.
Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes, more than any other country. Many of these show high levels of activity, but it can be weeks or even months before an actual eruption.
Bali is famous for its beaches and temples, and saw nearly 5 million visitors last year, mainly from China, Australia, and Japan.
However, some tourists were having second thoughts about their vacation plans after several countries, including Singapore and Australia, issued travel advisories warning of the risk from the volcano.
The Bali Tourism Board on Thursday issued a letter reassuring travelers, saying that flights were operating normally.
“The island is safe, except for areas around Mount Agung. We urge tourists to continue visiting,” the letter said.
The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation on Wednesday said that Bali-bound flights could be diverted to 10 airports across the country in case of an eruption.
Ash clouds from volcanic eruptions have disrupted tourism in Bali and other parts of Indonesia over the past few years.
Hundreds of domestic and international flights were disrupted last year, when a volcano erupted on Bali’s neighboring Lombok Island, sending columns of ash and debris into the air.
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