ID :
496973
Tue, 07/03/2018 - 13:06
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Mount Agung Erupts Again, Malaysians Urged Not To Go Near Affected Areas

By Mohd Shukri Ishak JAKARTA, July 3 (Bernama) -- Mount Agung has erupted again Monday, putting the local authorities on a state of preparedness. Head of the Information Data and Community Relations Centre of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement that many locals living about four kilometres from the crater of the volcano have voluntarily left the area. He said the volcano was reported to have erupted again this morning after a big eruption at 9.04 pm Monday. The active volcano located in Bali erupted yesterday, spewing lava and ash several kilometres into the air. Pictures published by the Indonesian media show lava flowing from the crater, causing forests in the surrounding areas to catch fire. Mount Agung which is located in north-east Bali has been increasingly active since last year and last Friday, the Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali was temporarily closed due to the smoke and ash from the eruptions. The last major eruption for Mount Agung was in 1963, killing more than 1,000 people. “Satellite monitoring shows that the dominant volcanic ash is spreading towards the west. At the moment, the Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali is operating as normal,” he said. Meanwhile, a spokesman of the Malaysia Embassy in Jakarta has urged Malaysians not to go near the eruption area. “The embassy is constantly monitoring the eruption,” he said. -- BERNAMA

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