Bali volcano: 59,000 stranded as airport shut; mass evacuation ordered
The National Disaster
Mitigation Agency raised the alert to the highest level on Monday and expanded
the danger zone to 10 Km
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NEWS : Authorities ordered a mass
evacuation of people Monday from an expanded danger zone around an erupting
volcano on Bali that has forced the Indonesian island's international airport
to close, stranding tens of thousands of travellers.
Mount
Agung has been hurling clouds of white and dark grey ash about 3,000
meters (9,800 feet) into the atmosphere since the weekend. A mudflow of
volcanic debris and water are known as a lahar was filmed moving down the
volcano's slopes.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency raised the alert to
the highest level on Monday and expanded the danger zone to 10 kilometres in
places from the previous maximum of 7.5 kilometres. It said in a statement that
a larger eruption is possible.
Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told a news conference in
Jakarta that the extension of the danger zone affects 22 villages and about
90,000 to 100,000 people.
He said about 40,000 people have evacuated but others have
not left because they feel safe or don't want to abandon their livestock.
"Authorities will comb the area to persuade them,"
he said. "If needed we will forcibly evacuate them." About 25,000
people were already living in evacuation centres after an increase in tremors
from the mountain in September sparked an evacuation.
Bali's airport was closed early Monday after ash reached its
airspace. Flight information boards showed rows of cancellations as tourists
arrived at the busy airport expecting to catch flights home.
Airport spokesman Air Ahsanurrohim said 445 flights were
cancelled, stranding about 59,000 travellers. The closure is in effect until
Tuesday morning though officials said the situation will be reviewed every six
hours.
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