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A volcano alert in Bali, the resort island of Indonesia, reached its highest level after Mount Agung started spewing huge plumes of smoke and ash, officials have warned more significant eruptions are expected.
"The volcano's alert level has been raised to the highest level," senior state volcanologist Gede Suantika, said. "Constant tremors can be felt," according to AFP.
Nearly 25,000 people have evacuated the regions within the radius of 47 miles from the erupting volcano that straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known to have the highest number of active volcanoes and earthquake eruptions in the world. The volcano started belching out fumes as high as 3,400 meters early Monday and the locals reported the volcano started showing activity last Tuesday.
With magma rising to the surface of the volcano, officials stated that a "strong, explosive eruption" is expected to follow.
"Continuous ash puffs are sometimes accompanied by explosive eruptions accompanied by a weak sound of boom," the National Board for Disaster Management wrote on Facebook.
"The rays of fire are increasingly observed at night. This indicates the potential for a larger eruption is imminent."
Bali's airport in its capital, Denpasar, that brings millions of tourists to the popular tropical destination, has been shut down, the officials announced.
"Bali's airport has indeed been closed. We're still coordinating the next steps," airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim told AFP.
The shut down has left nearly 50,000 tourists stranded in the region, the Daily Mail reported.
Mount Agung killed nearly 1600 people when it last erupted in 1963.
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