Volcano Agung Erupts on Indonesia’s Bali Island

By Staff, Agencies

The Mount Agung volcano, located in the eastern part of Indonesia’s Bali Island, has erupted, spewing ash into the sky, local media reported, citing the island’s disaster mitigation agency.

According to the Antara news agency, citing the authority, the eruption took place on Friday and lasted for over 4 minutes and 30 seconds as the volcano belched lava about three kilometers [1.9 miles] from the crater.

The eruption affected eight nearby villages. The authorities asked local residents to wear masks when going outside and warned them of a possible evacuation in case a large eruption occurs.

Various media reports have also said that some flights have been canceled in the area in the wake of the eruption. Mt. Agung is located 36 miles from Ngurah Rai Aiport and popular tourist places like Kuta and Seminyak.

The volcano became active in 2017. Its current alert level is the third from the four-tiered system. Indonesia also survived several large earthquakes last year. One of the strongest quakes hit the island of Sulawesi in September, triggering a tsunami that left thousands of people killed and injured.

Indonesia is part of the so-called Ring of Fire, an area in the Pacific Ocean where the most active tectonic plates are located.