Story highlights Everyone on Ambae island to be evacuated as volcanic activity increases

More than 144,000 have been evacuated around Mount Agung in Bali

(CNN) Thousands of people have been evacuated on the Indonesian island of Bali and on Ambae island in Vanuatu as two volcanoes threaten to erupt.

The entire population of Ambae is being moved from the path of the "increasingly active" Manaro volcano, also known as Lombenben, according to the Pacific nation's government.

On the Indonesian island of Bali, more than 144,000 people have been taken to shelters as authorities warn that Mount Agung, in the island's north, could erupt at any time.

Both volcanoes sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire , an area of intense seismic activity that stretches 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles) from New Zealand to South America.

That they're showing signs of erupting at the same time is pure coincidence, said Benjamin Andrews, of the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program.

Read More</s>MORE than 120,000 people have fled the region around the Mount Agung volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali, fearing it will soon erupt.

Nyoman Parwata, an official at the disaster mitigation agency’s command post in Bali, said the number of evacuees has swelled to about 122,500.

They are scattered in more than 500 locations across the island famed for its beaches, lush green interior and elegant Hindu culture, taking shelter in temporary camps, sports centres and other public buildings.

The volcano has been at its highest alert level since Friday, sparking the massive exodus of villagers. Thousands of cows are also being evacuated. An exclusion zone around the mountain extends as far as 12km from the crater in places but officials say people further from the volcano are leaving too. Agung, which dominates the landscape in the northeast of the island, last erupted in 1963, killing more than 1100 people. It remained active for about a year.

Volcanologists say the recent dramatic escalation in tremors indicates an eruption is more likely than not, but they can’t say with certainty when it will happen.

“I would definitely be following the advice to stay outside the exclusion zone,” said Heather Handley, an assistant earth sciences professor at Sydney’s Macquarie University. The increase in tremors suggests an eruption is “imminent,” she said.

The mountain, about 70km to the northeast of the tourist hot spot of Kuta, is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia.

In case of an eruption, Indonesia plans to divert flights headed for Bali to ten other airports, including on nearby Lombok and the capital Jakarta.

Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

The imminent eruption in Bali comes after the Vanuatu government decided they could not risk people’s lives and so ordered the compulsory evacuation of Ambae island, which is home to about 11,000 people.

Officials last weekend raised the activity measure of the Manaro volcano to level four and on Monday declared an emergency. At first, they relocated people close to the volcano to other parts of the island.

WEIRD ERUPTION THEORY

AS BALI’S Mt Agung volcano continues to rumble ominously, the locals are blaming tourists for angering the ancient mountain.

A local priest reportedly said Mount Agung is wrathful because “bule” (white people) had sex and menstruated on the mountain.

“The climbers did that,” he said.

Despite the warnings, Australian tourists on holiday in Bali say they are not worried and not trying to rush home to beat an eruption.

Late on Wednesday, Mt Agung recorded its biggest tremor so far, registering at 4.3. Ten airports around Indonesia are being prepared as alternatives if the expected eruption causes Bali’s airport to close. But experts still cannot predict when the mountain will erupt.

It is more than 70km from the tourist hot spots of Kuta and Seminyak.

While many Australian tourist remain unaffected by the impending eruption, some have spoken of being woken in the middle of the night to evacuate their hotels.

AUSSIE TOURISTS DIVIDED

Rory Eastick from Newcastle said he was woken by his Indonesian brother-in-law at 11.30pm and told to leave his hotel in Tulamben, on the northeast coast of Bali, immediately.

“It was quite a worrying moment because it was at that time we realised everyone in our hotel had already left,” he said.

“Family staying in another hotel were kicked out and made to find their own way to safety.”

Monique Correia from Perth said she was also told to pack her things and evacuate.

“The lady from my hotel has just told us to all pack our stuff and evacuate and drive back to Kuta now,” she said.

However, other tourists are feeling more relaxed about the situation. David and Kellie Smith, from Redhead in Newcastle, are on their first Bali holiday with their two daughters and say they are not concerned by the possibility of Mt Agung erupting.

They have spoken a lot with locals who say the most concern rests with the villagers closest to the mountain.

Like many Australians spoken to yesterday by News Corp Australia at Seminyak and Legian, their travel insurance appears sound, should the volcano erupt.

“We are all covered. I have spoken to our travel agent and she said as soon as she gets notice (of any problems) she will email me,” Ms Smith said, adding that they monitor social media for developments. “If the locals are not panicked, we are not too worried at the moment.”

The family arrived in Bali on September 16 just as Mt Agung was rumbling into action and the next day took a day trip, with a guide and driver, to Amed where they had spectacular views of Mt Agung before it was on alert.

RELATED: Aussie inmates among those evacuated from a Bali prison

“Honestly, we haven’t been too worried. We have had people ringing us (to find out what’s going on) but from what I understand there is not too much drama,” Mr Smith said. They are due to return home on Saturday.

Melbourne man Brett McKenzie was at the Double Six beach yesterday while his three sons, twins Ryan and Jackson, 13, and Bailey, 11, had a surf lesson.

The family arrived in Bali on Sunday and Mr McKenzie said he and his wife had no reservations about coming, knowing that Mt Agung was stirring.

He said they had thoroughly checked the DFAT Smartraveller advice before coming and had travel insurance.

“It is one of those things, it is a force of nature, unavoidable. If we have to stay longer (if the airport closes) we have to stay longer,” Mr McKenzie said. It was about taking personal responsibility and being aware of risks, taking note of the expert warnings.

“Our concern is more with the local Balinese people. These people are subsistence farmers ... in the villages and nearby surroundings and their livelihoods are at risk. That’s where our concern comes from, more than ourselves,” he said.

Mr McKenzie said due care was needed to avoid any risks, adding it was important to take responsibility for yourself, should Mt Agung erupt.

“I think one thing we are aware of is the unpredictability of the volcano,” he said.

He said while his family would be interested to see the volcano itself, they were concerned not to be traipsing up the mountain just to take a look with massive relief efforts underway.

“You don’t want thousands of people running up there making it difficult for them,” he said.

Throughout the day on Wednesday hundreds of earthquakes were recorded within Mt Agung. Between 6am and 12 noon, there were 521 earthquakes.

EVACUATIONS IN PLACE

The biggest tremor recorded so far came at 1.19pm yesterday registering at 4.3.

Thousands of people have been evacuated from the 12km exclusion zone around the mountain and who are sheltering in evacuation centres further down the mountain.

And shops around Bali reported yesterday having sold out of advanced face masks with filters as people rush to ensure they are stocked up. Many people were buying in bulk, saying they were donating to the relief effort or intended to volunteer when the eruption happened.

And children, who are in shelters with their parents, are now being organised to attend schools closest to the shelters where they are staying.

Children who have fled from a rumbling Bali volcano to makeshift camps are being entertained by social workers with music pic.twitter.com/eyr4wPGZ8S — AFP news agency (@AFP) September 27, 2017

In the Karangasem district, volunteers were helping with classes for some of the thousands of children whose schools within the exclusion zone around the volcano are now closed.

“So far the children look happy and are enjoying themselves,” said volunteer Yenni Ariyanti.

“They do not look worried or sad. Hopefully we can continue to maintain their excitement and keep them in good spirits.”

Bali’s Governor Made Pastika has urged Australians that Bali is safe despite the looming eruption of Mt Agung volcano.

TRAVEL WARNINGS

It comes as DFAT updated its travel warning late today, noting the potential for widespread ash fall outside the declared danger zone.

The new travel advice says: “Past eruptions of Agung volcano have shown this volcano’s potential to cause significant impacts to the island of Bali, including the potential for widespread ash fall outside the declared danger area surrounding the volcano. Depending on the weather conditions at the time of an eruption, an ash cloud could affect flights and ash fall may impact Denpasar and neighbouring airports in East Java and Lombok, causing widespread disruption to the travelling public. Contact your airline or tour operator directly to confirm travel plans.”

At the Klungkung evacuee shelter, large numbers of people, from the volcano slopes, are living inside a large indoor basketball court and sports arena while others are in tents outside. There have been problems with the tents during rain and Mr Pastika said this was the biggest problem now facing authorities.

The agency handling Mt Agung says it is still not possible to say when it would erupt but that the potency was now very large.

“To our brothers and sisters from abroad, of course Bali still safe,” Mr Pastika said, adding that the danger area is within a 12km perimeter of the mountain’s peak. He said there were many tourist areas away from the mountain which were more than safe.

Mr Pastika spoke to News Corporation today as he visited an emergency shelter for evacuees in Klungkung, which is currently housing more than 3800 people.

“The biggest problem is if the rain comes so that's why we are trying to move them to traditional village halls. People living the tents can’t stay there more than one month,” he said, for health and sanitation reasons.

At the Klungkung centre, as volunteers cooked food for the evacuees in huge vats, a local library brought its mobile book truck to the shelter so the children could borrow books to read.

Nearby an extended family of 15 shares a 6x4m tent.</s>(CNN) Thousands of people have been evacuated on the Indonesian island of Bali and on Ambae island in Vanuatu as two volcanoes threaten to erupt.

The entire population of Ambae is being moved from the path of the "increasingly active" Marano volcano, also known as Lombenben, according to the Pacific nation's government.

On the Indonesian island of Bali, more than 134,000 people have been taken to shelters as authorities warn that Mount Agung, in the island's north, could erupt at any time.

Both volcanoes sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire , an area of intense seismic activity that stretches 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles) from New Zealand to South America.

That they're showing signs of erupting at the same time is pure coincidence, said Benjamin Andrews, of the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program.

Vanuatu's Ambae island hasn't been evacuated on this scale since an alert in 2005, Minister of Land and Natural Resources Ralph Regenvanu told CNN.

Most of the island's 11,000 residents are being taken away by boat, but some are also being airlifted to evacuation centers on Vanuatu's Pentecost and Maewo islands.

On Wednesday, a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) aerial survey found "huge columns of smoke, ash and volcanic rocks billowing from the crater of an erupting volcano" on the island, according to a press release from the agency.

The alert level is at 4, the second highest on the scale. "Ambae volcano is in an ongoing moderate eruption state," a statement from Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazards Department said. People in local villages could experience the danger of flying rocks, volcanic gases and acid rain, the statement added.

"The principle concerns here are that the volcano can eject volcanic rocks to distances of many kilometers from the crater, and that the volcano could erupt ash and/or emit sulfur dioxide," said Andrews, from the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program..

Australia had responded to a request for assistance, pledging up to 20.5 million Vatu ($190,000) in "much-needed supplies like food, water, shelter and hygiene kits for affected communities on Ambae," a Vanuatu government statement said Thursday.

Australia was also funding surveillance flights over the volcanoes on Ambae and nearby Ambrym island, it added.

In Bali, residents are still being moved outside an exclusion zone that stretches 12 kilometers from the center of Mount Agung.

More than 134,000 are living in evacuation centers, sleeping on floors and waiting for something to happen.

"It's been six days since we are here, we want to go home," said Wayan, 65, who like many Indonesians only goes by one name. He evacuated with this elderly mother, wife, children and young grandchild to the Swecapura sports arena.

Wayan also fled his home back when Mount Agung last erupted in 1963. Back then, there was no evacuation plan, people just "ran to save themselves," he said. More than 1,700 people were killed and many villages destroyed.

This time, 447 temporary shelters have been set up outside the exclusion zone around the volcano, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.

Ngurah Rai International Airport remains open but is on alert in case of ash disruption, and there are plans to bus people to other airports, if needed.

Seismic activity continues in the volcano and the alert level for an eruption has been raised to 4, the highest warning level on the Indonesian scale.</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>Villagers eat at an evacuation centre in Karangasem on the Indonesian resort island of Bali September 24, 2017. — AFP picKARANGASEM, Sept 28 — More than 122,000 people have fled their homes on the resort island of Bali, fearful that a rumbling volcano could erupt at any time, disaster officials said.

Mount Agung, 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the resort hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August and threatening to erupt for the first time since 1963 — a potential blow to the country's lucrative tourism industry.

Officials at an evacuation centre in Klungkung district said 122,490 people had left their homes, taking refuge at nearly 500 makeshift shelters or moving in with relatives.

Around 62,000 people lived in the danger zone before the evacuations, according to Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency, but residents just outside the area have also left their homes out of fear.

Despite the significant increase in estimated evacuees, the government said it was prepared.

"In general the evacuation is going well, the logistics supply is sufficient for the evacuees' needs," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the agency spokesman, said Thursday.

This week Indonesia's national disaster agency has sent face masks, mattresses, blankets and tents for evacuees, who have also been provided with food.

Five mobile sirens have been installed in the danger zone to warn residents in the event of an eruption.

Around 10,000 animals have also been evacuated from the flanks of the volcano.

Officials estimate there are at least 30,000 cows within a 12-kilometre radius of the mountain’s summit, and efforts to relocate them are ongoing.

"We've set a target to evacuate 20,000 more cows from the affected areas," Nugroho said.

The animals are extremely valuable to the evacuees — mostly farmers — some of whom have refused to leave the danger zone, the spokesman said.

The Indonesian Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said Mount Agung was highly active today, recording 125 volcanic earthquakes between 12am and 6am.

"If we look at the magnitude, it continues to increase, yesterday we also felt several quakes with the magnitude of three on the Richter scale," said Kasbani, head volcanologist at the centre who goes by one name.

Highest alert level -Elsewhere, the threat of a separate volcanic eruption on the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu prompted authorities on Thursday to order the compulsory evacuation of the entire island of Ambae, home to 11,000 people.

Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) said it was the first time in living memory that an island's whole population had been moved because of volcanic activity.

The Manaro Voui volcano, which last erupted in 2005, sent up a plume of steam and ash over the weekend, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency.

In Indonesia, officials have announced the highest possible alert level and warned people to stay at least nine kilometres away from the crater.

The airport in Bali's capital Denpasar, through which millions of foreign tourists pass every year, has not been affected, but several countries including Australia and Singapore have issued a travel advisory.

Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people. — AFP</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>The tiny South Pacific nation of Vanuatu has ordered the complete evacuation of its northern island of Ambae as a volcano has begun erupting. Manaro Voui began emitting ash, smoke and steam over the weekend, triggering concerns of an imminent major eruption.

Residents were being assisted by aid agency Red Cross at evacuation centres on the eastern side of the island, before the government ordered all inhabitants to move to the nearby islands of Maewo, Pentecost and Santo. Boats have begun ferrying residents off Ambae, which is home to about 11,000 people, in a process expected to take about a week.

The activity measure of the volcano was raised last weekend to Level 4, on a scale in which Level 5 represents a major eruption. Geological experts warned of "flying rocks and volcanic gas", acid rain, and ash falls. New Zealand's military flew a plane over the volcano on Tuesday (26 September), and said huge columns of smoke, ash and volcanic rocks were billowing from the crater. The last time Manaro Voui erupted was in 2005.

Even if Manaro Voui does not going into a major eruption, aid workers fear the spread of volcanic ash across the island will cause long-term harm to locals, who are almost entirely reliant on locally grown produce for food.

Ambae is one of about 65 inhabited islands in the Pacific nation about one-quarter of the way from Australia to Hawaii. Vanuatu, home to about 260,000 people, is on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire and its Tana island active volcano is a major tourist attraction.

The move comes after authorities in Bali warned of a potentially imminent eruption of its highest volcano on Mount Agung, forcing more than 75,000 people from their homes.</s>Officials in Indonesia have formed plans to divert flights away from Bali should the volcano erupt

Evacuations are underway on the Indonesian island of Bali as experts warn of an imminent volcano eruption.

Over 75,600 people have been evacuated after dramatic increases in seismic activity sparked fears that Mount Agung could erupt in a “matter of hours”.

The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) has raised the volcano alert to 4, meaning an eruption can be expected at any time.

There are no current disruptions to flights travelling to Bali, but officials in Indonesia have formed plans to divert flights should the volcano erupt.

Flights will instead land at 10 other airports across the country, including Jakarta, Makassar, Surabaya, Balikpapan, Solo, Ambon, Manado, Praya, Kupang and Banyuwangi.</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>BALI, Indonesia (AP) - A week after authorities put Bali's volcano on high alert, tremors that indicate an eruption is coming show no sign of abating, swelling the exodus from the region to at least 140,000 people.

Disaster authorities on the Indonesian island famed for its lush tropical interior and beguiling beaches said Friday that instruments recorded more than 200 tremors from cone-shaped Mount Agung from dawn until midday.

The disaster agency said more than 144,000 people have now left areas around the volcano, including from places outside the immediate danger zone.

Near the edges of that zone which extends as far as 12 kilometers (7 miles) in places, some hamlets appeared devoid of people but daily life continued in others.

"We don't know what's going to happen. We can't predict anything," said villager Wayan Sudarma, who still returns to the mountain to help evacuate cattle. He said he's not afraid despite the risks.

Volcanologists say the past week's dramatic escalation in tremors indicates an eruption is more likely than not, but they can't say with certainty when it will happen.

Periodic plumes of vapor from the crater are another sign of rising magma within the volcano.

"Water in cracks and fissures is being changed to vapor because the temperature is rising," said David Boutelier, a geologist at Australia's University of Newcastle. "Vapor is more indirect evidence of magma rising under the volcano. It could still explode or lead to a lava flow."

Agung's last eruptions in 1963 produced deadly clouds of searing hot ash, gases and rock fragments that traveled down its slopes at great speed. Lava spread for several kilometers (miles) and people were also killed by lahars - rivers of water and volcanic debris. About 1,100 people died in total.

The official figure for evacuees is more than double the estimated population within the immediate danger zone. The broader Karangasem district surrounding the volcano is home to about 400,000 people.

Uncertainty about when the volcano will erupt is beginning to weigh on some people who have stayed for days in temporary shelters.

"I have my baby here and it's a difficult situation," said villager Wayan Cintia, who is staying at a public sports center in Klungkung district south of the mountain. "I'm confused and don't know what to do. I'm afraid to go home because of the earthquakes."

Agung, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) to the northeast of the tourist hotspot of Kuta, is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Another volcano, Mount Sinabung on Sumatra, has been erupting sporadically since 2010.

Officials say tourists on Bali, which had nearly 5 million visitors last year, are not in danger but they have prepared evacuation plans if an eruption forces the closure of the island's international airport.

Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
More than 134,000 people on the island of Bali, Indonesia, have been taken to shelters as the Mount Agung volcano continues to release smoke. The alert level for an eruption has been raised to the second highest level, 4. In addition, the entire population of Vanuatu's Aoba Island, also at alert level 4, is being moved from the path of the increasingly active Lombenben volcano.