Holy Smokes! Bali Volcano Poses Threat

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Virgnia Wooten

In Bali, Indonesia, the government raised a warning for Mount Agung last week. On Saturday, Mount Agung erupted a massive cloud of ash causing the civilians and tourists to evacuate the vicinity. Up to 100,000 people were ordered to evacuate, leaving many tourists in Bali stranded. The major airport in Denpasar closed for three days prior to the eruption due to the warnings which isolated the island from the rest of the world. This closing continued even through the eruption of ash which raised concerns and prompted even more evacuation calls from the people on the island. On Wednesday, officials stated that the airport is planning to reopen while they reevaluate the wind speed and the spread of ash every six hours.

On Thursday evening, locals and tourists trapped on the island prepare for the worst- another eruption. Currently 40,000 families are being supported by volunteers providing food, water, and shelter. With the possibility of another eruption, this could mean tens of thousands more will be in desperate need. The deputy from National Disaster Management Authority states that recovering from such destruction would take up to a year or more. The risk is not only molten lava, but volcanic mud flowing into river beds.

This is not the first time the citizens of this beautiful Indonesian island have faced a natural disaster. In 1963 around 1,600 people lost their lives due to an eruption from Mount Agung. It took the tropical island 11 months to fully recover from the damage.

For now, all the citizens and tourists of Bali have to wait patiently for Mother Nature’s next move.