Volcano alert rises

THE alert for Bali’s Mt Agung volcano has been raised to the highest level and residents told to immediately evacuate areas near the summit with the “imminent” risk of a larger eruption.

Flights were diverted away from Denpasar Airport due to the presence of volcanic ash. The Disaster Mitigation Agency warned residents in a 8-10km radius around the volcano to evacuate immediately.

Bali attracted nearly five million visitors last year but business has slumped since September, when volcanic tremors began to increase.