Thousands evacuated as volcano rumbles on Bali

Thousands of residents were evacuated from villages near an active volcano on the Indonesian island of Bali, officials said.


Seismic tremors rattled some areas and smoke rose above one of the world's most popular tourist spots.

The alert status for Mount Agung in eastern Bali was at three, one level below the highest, and authorities warned tourists and residents to avoid camping or hiking within a 6km radius of the crater.

"Volcanic activity remains high and there are indications of magma rising to the surface and causing tremors," said a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency.

"There should be zero public activity within the specified radius in case there is an eruption," he added.

However, flights at Bali's international airport were operating as normal and there was little disruption to tourism operators across the rest of the island, authorities said.

Nearly 6,000 people have been evacuated so far and that number was expected to rise, officials said.
 [rte.ie]
22/9/17