Mount Agung, a Bali volcano, is posing a major threat to residents on the Indonesian island. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (NDMA) has raised the level of alert to its highest warning.
It was the third time this week that the threat level was raised due to a "tremendous increase" in seismic activity, according to the Department of Meteorology, Climate and Geophysics.
"Volcanic activity remains high and there are indications of magma rising to the surface and causing tremors," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the NDMA, said. "There should be zero public activity within the specified radius in case there is an eruption."
While there is more seismic activity, it's hard to determine when an eruption may occur.
Villagers in the area are fleeing their homes. More than 11,300 villagers have been officially evacuated but reports suggest the actual number of evacuees could be three or four times that.
For those leaving, there are temporary shelters set up and villagers are also staying in sports centers and village halls or taking up residence with relatives.
It has been many years since the 9,944-foot volcano erupted. The last occurrence took place in 1963, when more than 1,000 people lost their lives and ash was hurled as high as 6 miles into the sky.
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The volcano is one of more than 120 active volcanoes in the region and 45 miles northeast of popular tourist spot Kuta. Many visitors come to Mount Agung to hike and undertake a variety of outdoor pursuits.
However, with the updated threat level from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, visitors and residents to the region are advised that they should not be within 6 miles of the crater or within 7.5 miles to the north, northeast, southeast and south-west of the volcano.
Visitors who are traveling to the region are advised to contact airlines and tour operators and to stay abreast of the situation in case of an eruption.
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