Bali’s Mount Agung erupts again
Authorities warn tourists and residents to stay away from danger zone
BALI: Mount Agung volcano in Bali, located in the island's eastern Karangasem regency, erupted again early yesterday, the volcano's observatory said.
The eruption caused ash to fall onto several areas around the mountain.
An ash column from Mount Agung's crater could not be monitored as thick fog shrouded the peak.
"The eruption occurred at 4.09am local time but the height of the ash column could not be measured because of the heavy fog. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22mm and a duration of three minutes and eight seconds," the observatory said in its report yesterday.
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigationannounced that the alert for Mount Agung was being maintained at the third level - the second highest danger alert level on the four-level scale - while the danger zone was still within a radius of 4km from the peak.
The centre warned residents and tourists to stay away from the danger zone, where no activity is allowed.
The authorities have forbidden climbing on Mount Agung since its volcanic activity increased last year.
"Volcanic activities in the danger zone are dynamic and can change at any time, according to the condition of the mountain," the observatory said.
People living along rivers at the foot of Mount Agung have also been warned to remain vigilant for possible cold lava flows, which can occur during rain.
Mount Agung has been erupting periodically since it rumbled back to life in November last year. An eruption in June this year temporarily shut Bali's airport and grounded flights. Its last major eruption in 1963 killed around 1,600 people. - THE JAKARTA POST/ANN
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