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Thousands leave their houses as Mount Agung volcano erupts
Topic Started: 22 Nov 2017, 12:49 AM (57 Views)
skibboy
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Thousands leave their houses as Mount Agung volcano erupts

6 hours ago

Posted Image
Tens of thousands of people fled their homes near Mount Agung

A volcano on the Indonesian island of Bali has erupted for the first time in more than 50 years, the country's national disaster agency says.

More than 140,000 people had fled their homes in recent months before Mount Agung began belching smoke 700m (2,300ft) above its summit on Tuesday.

Nearly 1,600 people died when Mount Agung last erupted in 1963.

So far, there have been no changes to flights in the region despite the eruption.

A spokesperson for the national disaster agency said Mount Agung was undergoing phreatic eruptions, which happen when water beneath the ground or on the surface is heated by magma.

Phreatic eruptions also took place during the catastrophic eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883, which killed 40,000 people.

Villagers near the mount were first told to leave in August when it started rumbling but were later allowed to return home.

Since then the mount has been rumbling intermittently.

Many of those who returned home have now been ordered to leave and stay overnight in village halls and temples a safe distance from the volcano.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

According to official estimates, the holiday island of Bali lost at least $110m (£83m) in tourism and productivity while locals were moved to shelters.

However, the island's airport remains open with no changes to flights, and tourist areas are safe according to Indonesia's disaster agency.

Source: Posted Image.com
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skibboy
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25 November 2017

Bali volcano spews smoke for second time in a week

Posted Image
© AFP | People living within 7.5 kilometres (4.5 miles) of Mount Agung in Bali have been told to evacuate

KARANGASEM (INDONESIA) (AFP) - A rumbling volcano on the Indonesian resort island of Bali spewed smoke hundreds of metres into the air Saturday, officials said, just days after thousands were forced to flee over fears it would erupt.

Mount Agung belched smoke as high as 1,500 metres (4,900 feet) above its summit, twice as high as on Tuesday when smoke sparked an exodus from settlements near the mountain.

There are fears the volcano could erupt for the first time since 1963, when nearly 1,600 people died.

People living within 7.5 kilometres (4.5 miles) of the mountain have been told to evacuate, senior volcanologist Gede Suantika said, advising residents to remain calm.

It comes after the volcano stirred to life in September, forcing 140,000 people to leave the area.

Many returned home after the volcano's activity waned, but fresh smoke has sparked a further exodus and around 25,000 people have been evacuated to more than 200 temporary shelters.

"We will continue to see eruptions like this on similar scales, but we cannot predict when Mount Agung will really erupt," Suantika told AFP.

The volcano's alert level remains at the second-highest, he added.

Bali is a major tourist hub and its airport is operating normally, but some airlines have decided to cancel their flights.

Indonesia lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activity.

Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island -- which is currently at its highest alert level -- has been active since 2013.

Source: Posted Image.com
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skibboy
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Mount Agung: Bali volcano activity prompts 'red warning'

26 November 2017

Airlines have been issued a "red warning" about the danger of volcanic ash in the skies close to Bali after Mount Agung emitted a thick plume of smoke reaching 4,000m (13,100 feet).

It is the second major emission from the Indonesian island volcano this week, and flights have been disrupted.

The red warning means an eruption is forecast to be imminent, with significant emission of ash likely.

Authorities have begun distributing masks in some areas as ash falls.

Bali is a major tourist destination, although the main resorts of Kuta and Seminyak are about 70km (43 miles) from the volcano.

The island's main airport is for now operating normally, but some airlines have cancelled flights.

Volcanic ash can damage plane engines.

Travellers to and from the region are being urged to contact their airline or travel agent to find out the status of their flight.

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Ash from the eruption coated roads, cars and buildings near the volcano in the north-east of Bali and emergency officials said hundreds of thousands of masks had been distributed

The ash cloud is said to be moving eastward from Bali towards the island of Lombok, and the main international airport there has been closed entirely.

The information director of Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency tweeted that volcanic ash rain had fallen on the Lombok city of Mataram.

"Tourism in Bali is still safe, except in the danger (zone) around Mount Agung," the agency said in a statement.

It told people within a 7.5km exclusion zone to "immediately evacuate" in an "orderly and calm manner".

Magma - molten rock - has now been detected close to the volcano's surface, said officials and volcanologists.

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Passengers waiting at Bali's Ngurah Rai airport on Saturday

About 25,000 people are thought to still be in temporary shelters after more than 140,000 people fled earlier this year.

Increased volcanic activity had prompted fears a major eruption was imminent.

Most of the islanders outside the immediate exclusion zone were ordered to return home at the end of September, and the mountain has been intermittently rumbling since.

According to official estimates, the holiday island lost at least $110m (£83m) in tourism and productivity during the major evacuation.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

It is home to more than 130 active volcanoes.

The last time Mount Agung erupted, in 1963, more than 1,000 people died.

Source: Posted Image.com
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skibboy
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Bali volcano: Non-evacuees may be forced to leave area

46 minutes ago

People who have not left their homes around a rumbling volcano in Bali may be forcibly evicted, Indonesian authorities have said.

Tens of thousands of people stayed put near Mount Agung after an alert was raised to its highest level.

Some still felt safe while others did not want to leave livestock.

A spokesman for the country's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said people were checking the exclusion zone for non-evacuees.

"There are personnel doing the sweeping, if they [residents] need to be forcibly evacuated," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

The closure of the island's airport was extended for a second day, leaving thousands stranded in the tourist hotspot.

Up to 100,000 people live in the area that could potentially be affected by streams of burning rock have been spotted flowing down from the mountain. But by Monday only 40,000 had left.

Mount Agung's volcanic tremors first began in September.

Since last week dark gas and ash have been billowing up to 3,400m (11,150ft) above the mountain's summit.

How close is it to a major eruption?

The BNPB raised the alert to level four from 06:00 local time (22:00 GMT on Sunday) because of an "imminent risk of disaster".

The volcano is emitting "continuous ash puffs" with occasional "explosive eruptions" that could be heard 12km (7 miles) from the summit.

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Locals are wearing masks to protect them from breathing volcanic ash

Geologist Mark Tingay of the University of Adelaide told the BBC that eruptions were difficult to predict and it was "very hard to tell" exactly how the situation would develop.

He added that Indonesian authorities appeared "extremely well prepared", with the situation "well under control".

How are locals coping?

Authorities have widened the exclusion zone to a 10km (six-mile) radius, and have ordered people in the area to evacuate.
Mr Sutopo said some people within the exclusion zone did not leave because the area was not touched during the last eruption, more than 50 years ago.

Others are concerned about their animals.

Local man Komang Gede told AFP news agency: "We will try to go the evacuation centres in the afternoon, because in the morning we have to stay here to feed our livestock."

Lahars, also known as "cold lava", are slurries of rock fragments mixed with water, and have been spotted in fields and rivers near the volcano.

They are chiefly caused by pyroclastic flows - fast-moving flows of gas and ash that can reach temperatures of 800C (1470F).

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Cold lava flows began to hit several villages in the southern slopes of Mount Agung as rainfall combined with the eruption

Officials have been distributing masks for local residents, as ash rains down in the vicinity.

Anna Baranova, who works with non-governmental organisation Kopernik that is helping evacuees, told the BBC her group was trying to bring in better masks and distribute solar-powered TVs for informational purposes in case the electricity cuts out.

Authorities first issued warnings of an imminent eruption and raised the alert to the highest level two months ago, after detecting heightened volcanic activity.

Following mass evacuations, some islanders returned to their homes in October when the alert level was lowered with a decrease in activity.

According to official estimates, the holiday island lost at least $110m (£83m) in tourism and productivity during that major evacuation.

Should tourists be worried?

The main tourist stretch of Kuta and Seminyak is about 70km (43 miles) from the volcano, far beyond the exclusion zone.

But the ash prompted officials to shut down Bali's Ngurah Rai airport from Monday to Tuesday morning.

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Airport authorities said 445 flights had been cancelled, affecting 59,000 travellers, while Indonesia's hotel association said stranded tourists staying at member hotels could stay one night for free.

The Australian government issued travel advice saying: "Volcanic activity may escalate with little or no notice."

The UK's Foreign Office have advised travellers to be prepared for cancelled flights, closely monitor local media, and to heed local authorities' warnings.

Source: Posted Image.com
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skibboy
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Bali volcano: Mt Agung ash shuts airport for second day

28 November 2017

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Thousands of travellers have been stranded by the airport closure

Indonesian officials have shut the international airport in Bali for a second day, as Mount Agung spews volcanic ash into the atmosphere.

Massive plumes of dark ash were seen reaching as high as 3km (2 miles) above the summit of the rumbling volcano, which began erupting last week.

Officials raised the alert to the highest level on Monday, fearing an imminent major eruption.

Up to 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate the vicinity.

Volcanic ash can damage aeroplane engines or even cause them to fail, and also clogs fuel and cooling systems. Pilot visibility can also be hampered.

The Transportation Ministry initially closed the Ngurah Rai (Denpasar) airport on Monday morning for 24 hours, cancelling more than 400 flights and stranding 59,000 travellers.

On Tuesday, they announced they would extend the closure to Wednesday 07:00 local time (00:00 GMT).

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for Indonesia's national disaster agency, said that the ash was being drawn southwest - towards Bali's main airport - by a tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean.

The airport on neighbouring Lombok island however has been re-opened, he added.

Authorities have also arranged for buses to take tourists to ferry terminals.

The volcano is about 70km from the popular tourist areas of Kuta and Seminyak.

The disaster agency said in a separate statement (in Indonesian) that as of Tuesday morning, the volcano was still emitting thick ash clouds and that "rays of flares from the glowing lava" were also observed overnight.

Besides ash, streams of rock mixed with water known as lahar have also been spotted flowing down from the mountain.

Officials have warned people to stay away from them.

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Face masks are also being distributed to help residents cope with the continuous ash fall

Officials have told everyone living in a 10km exclusion zone around the volcano to evacuate.

Mr Sutopo said that officials faced difficulties estimating the exact number of evacuees given varying population data, but they believe between 90,000 and 100,000 people needed to leave.

So far, only 29,000 people had moved to shelters, while others have fled to other places like Lombok, he said.

Still, there were "many people" who have remained, as some still feel safe while others are unwilling to leave their cattle and fields, he said.

Authorities have warned that they may forcibly evacuate people if they do not move to shelters soon.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Inside the exclusion zone

Rebecca Henschke, BBC News, Bali

A large banner reads: "You're entering active volcanic hazard zone."

But looking around, you wouldn't know.

Just behind the sign Seriyani is selling flowers for offers to the Balinese Hindu gods.

She says she is worried, but needs to stay here and work to feed the family.

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"When it really erupts I will run," she says with a nervous laugh.

Further in the exclusion zone we find a school open.

Here the teacher is showing the children how to put on simple surgical masks.

To protect them from the ash, the headmaster tells me.

The volcano has been rumbling for weeks now he says so they don't want to move yet and be left in limbo.

Authorities say they will force people to evacuate.

But those still on the mountain haven't heard that.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Source: Posted Image.com
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skibboy
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Bali volcano: Airport reopens after Agung eruption

29 November 2017

Flights have resumed from the international airport in Bali after three days of disruption caused by a volcanic ash cloud, officials say.

Layers of ash settled on houses and fields on the Indonesian island after an eruption of Mount Agung.

Up to 100,000 people were ordered to evacuate the vicinity and thousands of tourists have been stranded.

The airport might have to close again if the wind changed direction, officials said.

Not all local people have left - some have insisted on waiting until lava from the crater heads their way.

The massive plumes of dark ash from Mount Agung were seen reaching as high as 3km (2 miles) above its rumbling summit.

It began erupting last week.

Officials raised the alert to the highest level on Monday, fearing an imminent major eruption.

They said that although the airport reopened from 15:00 local time (07:00 GMT), it remained necessary constantly to monitor the situation on the ground.

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Thousands of local people have been evacuated to camps

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Some tourists are leaving Bali by by boat

The authorities have also warned tourists that they are likely to face long waits before returning home because of a huge backlog of flights.

Meanwhile Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said that his government is working to help thousands of Australian holidaymakers stranded on Bali to return home.

It is estimated that Australians comprise more than 25% of tourists on the island.

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There is now a huge backlog of flights at Bali's main airport

Denpasar airport is used by millions of visitors each year and is the main entry point into Bali.

Airport spokesman Ari Ahsanurrohim said more than 440 flights were cancelled on Tuesday, affecting nearly 60,000 passengers.

A similar number of people were affected on Monday.

Volcanic ash can damage aeroplane engines or even cause them to fail, and also clogs fuel and cooling systems.

Pilot visibility can also be hampered.

The airport on neighbouring Lombok island reopened earlier, officials say.

The volcano is about 70km (43 miles) from the popular tourist areas of Kuta and Seminyak.

On Wednesday it was still emitting thick ash clouds in addition to streams of rock mixed with water known as lahar which have also been spotted flowing out of the mountain.

Officials have told everyone living in a 10km (6 miles) exclusion zone around the volcano to evacuate.

So far, only 29,000 people have moved to shelters, while others have fled to nearby places like Lombok.

Source: Posted Image.com
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