JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Nearly 10,000 villagers have left their homes around the Mount Agung volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali because of a possible eruption.

Officials raised the alert status of the volcano on Monday to the second highest level and recommended people stay 6 kilometers (3.8 miles) from the crater, and up to 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) away to the north, southeast and south-southwest.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said Friday that some 9,400 villagers have evacuated from their houses and were scattered in 50 shelters in the districts of Karangasem, Klungkung and Buleleng.

Mount Agung volcano is seen at the sunrise in Bali, Indonesia, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017. Indonesia officials have more than doubled the zise of no go zone around the mount Agung volcano o the tourist island of Bali and raised its alert level for the second time in less than a week. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

The 3,031-meter (9,944-foot) Agung, located about 72 kilometers (45 miles) to the northeast of the tourist hotspot of Kuta, last erupted in 1963, killing 1,100 people and hurling ash as high as 10 kilometers (6 miles).

Mount Agung volcano is seen at the sunrise in Bali, Indonesia, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017. Indonesia officials have more than doubled the zise of no go zone around the mount Agung volcano o the tourist island of Bali and raised its alert level for the second time in less than a week. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Indonesian evacuees sit at a temporary shelter in Bali, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Hundreds of villages are staying at temporary shelters after evacuating from their homes as Indonesian officials had more than doubled the size of a no go zone around the Mount Agung volcano on the tourist island and raised its alert level on Monday. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Children play as evacuees rest at a temporary shelter in Bali, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Hundreds of villages are staying at temporary shelters after evacuating from their homes as Indonesian officials had more than doubled the size of a no go zone around the Mount Agung volcano on the tourist island and raised its alert level on Monday. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati) </s> Mount Agung, a volcano located in east Bali erupted at 7.22pm local time on Friday, May 24. The massive eruption lasted for four minutes and 30 seconds, and saw hot lava running down three kilometres from the crater. The eruption also threw smoldering lava and pieces of stone into the air, which fell in areas around 2.5-3 kilometres from the summit.

Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Darwin warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 15000ft (4600m) altitude or flight level 150 . Indonesia’s Center of Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) said: “The ash column could not be observed. “Thundering sounds from the eruption were heard adequately strong from the monitoring post.” READ MORE: Bali volcano eruption: Where is Mount Agung? Is Bali safe to travel?

Is it safe to travel to Bali? PVMBG said alert level on Mount Agung was set at level 3 at the moment. That means people finding themselves around the four kilometres big red zone area should leave immediately. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has also advised against all travel to areas near Mount Agung.

FCO warns against going close than four kilometres of the Mount Agung crater. These are exclusion zones put in place by the local authorities due to the ongoing volcanic activity. If you’re in either exclusion zone, you should leave immediately. Residents who reside around the downstream of rivers upstreaming in the Mount Agung are advised to remain vigilant on possible stream of hot lava or volcanic materials.

The local alert level may change at short notice, and FCO urged people in the area to check media reports before travelling close to the volcano. There are many active volcanoes in Indonesia, any of which can erupt with little or no warning. This often results in the evacuation of villages within a three to seven kilometre radius and disruption to air travel in the wider region. In the past, repeated eruptions have caused destruction and fatalities. </s> Footage broadcast by RT, taken from the area near the volcano in Indonesia shows ash clouds and smoke engulfing parts of the mountain. Villages surrounding the volcano have since been evacuated leaving more than 75,000 people displaced with experts predicting Mount Agung could erupt “within hours”. Balinese locals continue to flee the danger zone, which stretches 7.5 miles around Mount Agung. The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) has raised the Bali volcano alert to 4, meaning an eruption can be expected at any time.

A 200m-tall column of smoke was spotted rising from Mount Agung early on Sunday, according to Gede Suantika, the chief geologist monitor the site. He said: “We observed sulphuric smoke spewing from its carter and we never saw this before.” More than 1,000 tremors were recorded on the Bali Volcano on Monday and Tuesday, including a magnitude 4.2 quake at 11am BST on September 26. After the quake, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center tweeted: “Strongest quake so far while the volcano may be about to erupt.

“Agung volcano is said to be close to erupting and the Bali island just taken by a M4.2 earthquake.” More frequent shallow earthquakes could be a sign a new batch of magma has moved just under the summit of the Bali volcano, according to Volcano Discovery. Devy Kamil Syahbana, a seismologist from Indonesia’s volcanology centre, said he’d never seen such high seismic energy on Mount Agung. He said: “We need to pay attention because these kinds of earthquakes indicate the movement of magma and increase the probability of an eruption.” The latest Foreign Office advice to Britons planning to visit the region warned “an eruption is possible in the next 24 hours”. The Foreign Office said: “You should follow the advice of the local authorities and stay outside the exclusion zone. If there is an eruption, volcanic ash clouds could cause flight disruptions.” </s> The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said nearly 450 flights were canceled, affecting some 75,000 people.

The regional Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin, Australia, said winds would carry the ash southwest toward Java, Indonesia's most densely populated island. Volcanic ash is a potentially deadly threat to aircraft that can cause engines to "flame out."

The volcano began belching ash and smoke on Thursday and several airlines canceled inbound and outbound flights scheduled for the evening.

"We hadn't a place to stay for the night so we had to find something else, just took a taxi and stayed at a random hostel," said a stranded German backpacker who identified herself as Louisa. "We hoped that we could leave this morning, but the airport is closed," she said.

Two small airports, at Banyuwangi and Jember in eastern Java, also closed because of the ash threat.

Agung's alert level has not been raised and an exclusion zone around the crater remains at 4 kilometers (2.5 miles).

The disaster agency said the closure of Bali's airport is in effect until 7 p.m. It said the situation will be reviewed at midday.

Australia's national airline Qantas said in a statement that it's "currently not safe" to operate Bali flights.

It said it was monitoring advice from the ash advisory center and its own pilots and meteorologists would decide when flights can resume.

The volcano, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) northeast of Bali's tourist hotspot of Kuta, last had a major eruption in 1963, killing about 1,100 people.

It had a dramatic increase in activity last year, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, but had quietened by early this year. Authorities lowered its alert status from the highest level in February.

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 250 million people, sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Government seismologists monitor more than 120 active volcanoes.

A man checks flight information board at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia Friday, June 29, 2018. The Indonesian tourist island of Bali closed its international airport Friday, stranding thousands of travelers, as the Mount Agung volcano gushed a 2,500-meter (8,200-feet) column of ash and smoke. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati) Mount Agung volcano spews smoke seen in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia Friday, June 29, 2018. The Indonesian tourist island of Bali closed its international airport Friday, stranding thousands of travelers, as the Mount Agung volcano gushed a 2,500-meter (8,200-feet) column of ash and smoke. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati) A flight information board shows cancelled flights at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia Friday, June 29, 2018. The Indonesian tourist island of Bali closed its international airport Friday, stranding thousands of travelers, as the Mount Agung volcano gushed a 2,500-meter (8,200-feet) column of ash and smoke. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati) Tourists wait as Ngurah Rai International Airport is closed due to the eruption of Mount Agung in Bali, Indonesia Friday, June 29, 2018. The Indonesian tourist island of Bali closed its international airport Friday, stranding thousands of travelers, as the Mount Agung volcano gushed a 2,500-meter (8,200-feet) column of ash and smoke. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati) </s> More than 34,000 people have fled from a rumbling volcano on the resort island of Bali as the magnitude of tremors grows, prompting fears it could erupt for the first time in more than 50 years, an official said Sunday.

Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency said the number of people fleeing their homes surrounding the volcano had tripled since Friday amid growing alarm that Mount Agung could erupt at any moment.

“The evacuation process is ongoing and we expect the number of evacuees to continue to rise,” agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

The volcano, the highest point in Bali and located about 75 km (50 miles) from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been rumbling since August.

Officials announced the highest possible alert level Friday following increasing volcanic activity, and urged people to stay at least 9 km (just over 5 miles) away from the crater.

“I am actually very worried to leave, I left my cows and pigs at home because we were ordered to vacate our village immediately,” villager Nyoman Asih, who fled with her entire family, said.

The international airport in Denpasar, Bali’s capital, was anticipating the prospect of closure but no flight schedules had been affected as of Sunday.

The airport has prepared buses and trains to divert passengers to alternative hubs in neighboring provinces if the mountain erupts.

Flight disruptions due to drifting ash clouds are not uncommon in Indonesia.

Last year more than two dozen domestic and international flights to Bali’s neighboring resort island of Lombok were cancelled due to a drifting ash cloud from erupting Mount Rinjani.

Bali officials said the island is still generally safe but urged tourists to stay away from tourism spots located within the danger zone.

Pura Besakih temple, one of Bali’s most prominent temples which is located just a few kilometers away from the mountain’s slopes, has been closed to visitors since Saturday.

The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said the tremors grew more powerful Sunday.

“The mountain has not erupted until now. The earthquakes are happening less frequently but the magnitude is getting stronger,” Gede Suantika, a senior volcanologist at the agency said.

Indonesia is home to around 130 volcanoes due to its position on the “Ring of Fire,” a belt of tectonic plate boundaries circling the Pacific Ocean where frequent seismic activity occurs.

The volcano agency’s chief, Kasbani, said Mount Agung has a history of major eruptions that eclipsed recent episodes in Indonesia, including the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi in central Java that claimed at least 350 lives.

The 1963 eruption of Agung killed more than 1,000 people and devastated many villages.

The 2010 Merapi eruption, which also forced hundreds of thousands of villagers to flee, was that mountain’s biggest since 1872. However, it was 10 times smaller than Mount Agung’s 1963 eruption.

“We hope this time it will not be that big, but we need to be prepared for the worst case scenario and prioritize vigilance,” Kasbani told Metro TV. </s> DENPASAR - Bali closed its international airport following a volcanic eruption on the Indonesian resort island that sent thick smoke and ash billowing 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) into the air, an official said on Friday (June 29).

Ngurah Rai airport was due to be closed from 3am (1900 GMT; 3am Singapore time) to at least 7pm on Friday after a pilot report detected volcanic ash as high as 23,000 feet following Mount Agung's eruption on Thursday.

"Based on the meteorology agency prediction, the volcanic ash will reach the airport on Friday morning," airport spokesman Yanus Suprayogi said in a statement, adding that a possible extension of the airport closure after 7pm would be reviewed.

The eruption of Mount Agung in eastern Bali on Thursday has triggered at least 48 flight cancellations including those operated by Malaysia-based AirAsia and Australia's JetStar.

The disruption has affected more than 8,000 passengers.

Ash is dangerous for planes as it makes runways slippery and can be sucked into their engines.

Despite the eruption the volcano's status has not been raised by Indonesia's volcanology agency and remained at alert level, while the Volcano Observatory Notice For Aviation has issued an orange level warning.

Mount Agung rumbled back to life last year and has been erupting periodically since.

The volcano's eruption threat reared its head again in November, sparking travel chaos and pounding Bali's lucrative tourism industry and its wider economy.

There is a four-kilometre (2.5 mile) no-go zone around Agung's peak.

Agung's last major eruption in 1963 killed around 1,600 people.

Indonesia is the world's most active volcanic region and lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activities. </s> Bali Volcano Mount Agung has spewed smoke and ash from its crater since Sunday, prompting terrified locals to evacuate its danger zones as fears the volcano could erupt in a “matter of hours”. The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) has raised the Bali volcano alert to 4, meaning an eruption can be expected at any time. More than 1,000 tremors were recorded on the Bali Volcano on Monday and Tuesday, including a magnitude 4.2 quake at 11am BST on September 26. After the quake, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center tweeted: “Strongest quake so far while the volcano may be about to erupt.

“Agung volcano is said to be close to erupting and the Bali island just taken by a M4.2 earthquake.” More frequent shallow earthquakes could be a sign a new batch of magma has moved just under the summit of the Bali volcano, according to Volcano Discovery. Devy Kamil Syahbana, a seismologist from Indonesia’s volcanology centre, said he’d never seen such high seismic energy on Mount Agung. He said: “We need to pay attention because these kinds of earthquakes indicate the movement of magma and increase the probability of an eruption.”

The Bali volcano has prompted the Foreign Office to warn of cancelled flights, leaving tourists stranded on the island in the event of Mount Agung erupting. The latest Foreign Office advice to Britons planning to visit the region warned: “an eruption is possible in the next 24 hours.” The Foreign Office said: “You should follow the advice of the local authorities and stay outside the exclusion zone. If there is an eruption, volcanic ash clouds could cause flight disruptions. “In the event of volcanic ash clouds, you should confirm your travel arrangements directly with your airline or travel agent before travelling to the airport.

Terrifying video footage of the Bali volcano shows the mountain spewing tonnes of ashes and smoke as locals brace themselves for its eruption. A 200m-tall column of smoke was spotted rising from Mount Agung early on Sunday, according to Gede Suantika, the chief geologist monitor the site. He said: “We observed sulphuric smoke spewing from its carter and we never saw this before.” </s> DENPASAR: Mount Agung in Karangasem district, Bali, erupted again on Friday (May 24) at 7.23pm, spewing incandescent lava in all directions for as far as 2.5 to three kilometres.

"Yes, there has been an eruption. The height of the ash column was not reported; however, there was a roaring noise at the observation post," said I Made Rentin, head of the Bali Provincial Disaster Management Agency, on Friday night.

The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 30mm and a duration of some four minutes and 30 seconds. Even though Mount Agung erupted again, it is still at Level III (Standby) status.

The eruption, which occurred at 7.23pm, affected several areas in Karangasem district, which were exposed to thick ash and sand, including Pempatan Village, Besakih Village, Menanga Village, Sebudi Village, Muncan Village, Amerta Bhuana Village, Nongan Village, Rendang Village and several areas in Bangli district.

Several flights to and from Bali's international airport were cancelled, while other flights have been diverted.

"We will continue to monitor the current condition of Mount Agung eruption," said Indonesia's director general of air transport Polana Pramesti.



Rentin called on people living around Mount Agung not to move within a radius of four kilometres from the peak crater. The hazard estimation zone is dynamic and continues to be evaluated and can change at any time following the latest observation data on Mount Agung.

In addition, people have been asked to equip themselves with masks if they leave their houses and always follow directions from officials.

"Increase preparedness. If there is a larger eruption, people must evacuate in an orderly manner, according to the agreed evacuation plan. Don't panic, keep calm, and let's pray that we are all protected by Hyang Widhi (God)," said Rentin. </s> (Bloomberg) -- Indonesia canceled flights to and from the nation’s main resort island of Bali after the Mt. Agung volcano erupted late on Friday.

“Currently flights to and from I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport have been canceled.” Polana Pramesti, director general of civil aviation, said on the ministry’s Twitter page. “We will continue to update the latest condition on the eruption of Mount Agung.”

The cancellations include four flights to Bali on Saturday and five that were scheduled to leave the island.

Mount Agung erupted on Friday, its latest in a series of blasts in recent months, throwing volcanic ash into the southern part of the island, where the airport is located, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency, said in text message. The volcano spewed lava as far as three kilometers.

Indonesia’s 17,000 islands are prone to earthquakes as the Southeast Asian nation straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire -- an arc of fault lines and volcanoes that causes frequent seismic upheavals.

To contact the reporter on this story: Harry Suhartono in Jakarta at hsuhartono@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shamim Adam at sadam2@bloomberg.net, John McCluskey, Hari Govind
Mount Agung in Bali, Indonesia, erupts.