Agung volcano in Bali resort island of Indonesia (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The Agung volcano in Bali resort island of Indonesia spew an ash columnof 2,500m to the sky in its latest eruption on January 11.
Local authorities said the high-risk area was 6km from thecrater, a reduction of the previous warning of 10km last week.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, Head of Data, Information and PublicRelation of Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management, warned that although the danger zone is reduced,geological activities inside the volcano remains strong.
More than 50,000 peoplein 12 high-risk localities are still staying in safe shelters. The I GustiNgurah Rai international airport still operates as usual since ashes from thevolcano only affected some areas to the north and northeast.
After 50 years, Agungvolcano resumed its activities in November 2017, making local authorities raisethe alert status to the highest level. The I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport had toclose for three days due to the volcano while another airport on nearby Lombokisland also halted its operation for a while.
A series of eruptions at Mount Agung during 1963-1964 killedmore than 1,600 people and injured hundreds.
Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire where severaltectonic plates meet and cause 90 percent of the world’s seismic activity. Thecountry is currently home to nearly 130 active volcanoes.
In 2010, Mount Merapi on Java island, consideredone of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world, erupted afterrumbling since 2006, killing more than 300 people and forcing 280,000 to flee.
Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island, which iscurrently at its highest alert level, has been active since 2013.-VNA
