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WORLD NEWS Monday 25 SepteMber 2017

Bali volcano eruption fears spark

exodus of more than 35,000

By FIRDIA LISNAWATI said 14 tons of aid has to seismic upheaval due
Associated Press been sent, including to its location on the Pa-
BALI, Indonesia (AP) — tents, blankets, mattress- cific “Ring of Fire,” an
More than 35,000 people es and portable com- arc of volcanoes and
have fled a menacing munications equipment. fault lines encircling the
volcano on the Indo- Truck driver Wayan Su- Pacific Basin.q
nesian tourist island of parta said he and his
Bali, fearing it will erupt family left their village 5
for the first time in more kilometers (3 miles) from A villager rides past by with Mount Agung seen in the back-
than half a century as the mountain several ground in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017.
increasing tremors rattle days ago, bringing just
the region. clothes and blankets to
The numbers Sunday a temporary camp in
from disaster officials are Rendang.
more than double pre- The 35-year-old said he
vious estimates and are sold the family’s cow be-
continuing to rise, they cause they don’t know
say. when they’ll be able to
It includes people who return.
left voluntarily as well as Officials have said there
those told to evacuate is no current danger to
from a 9-12 kilometer people in other parts
(6-8 mile) zone around of Bali, a popular tour-
Mount Agung. ist island famous for its
Authorities raised the surfing, beaches and el-
volcano’s alert status to egant Hindu culture.
the highest level Friday Hoaxes have prolifer-
following a “tremendous ated online, with videos
increase” in seismic ac- of previous eruptions in
tivity. Indonesia circulated as
Its last eruption in 1963 current events at Mount
killed 1,100 people. Agung.
Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, In 1963, the 3,031-me-
a senior Cabinet minis- ter (9,944-foot) Agung
ter, said Sunday that the hurled ash as high as 20
districts surrounding the kilometers (12 miles), ac-
volcano “must be pre- cording to volcanolo-
pared for the worst.” gists, and remained ac-
The National Disaster tive for about a year.
Mitigation Agency has Lava traveled 7.5 kilo-
praised the welcoming meters (4.7 miles) and
response of local com- ash reached Indonesia’s
munities on Bali to the capital, Jakarta, about
flood of evacuees. 1,000 kilometers (620
Thousands are living in miles) away.
temporary shelters, sport The mountain, 72 kilo-
centers, village halls and meters (45 miles) to the
with relatives or friends. northeast of the tour-
Some return to the dan- ist hotspot of Kuta, is
ger zone during the day among more than 120
to tend to livestock. active volcanoes in In-
National Disaster Mitiga- donesia.
tion Agency spokesman The country of thou-
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho sands of islands is prone