Mount Agung`s Emergency Status Extended Until Nov 9

Karangasem, Bali (Antara Bali) - The emergency status of Mount Agung in Bali Province has been extended for another 14 days, until Nov 9, to anticipate the threat of the volcanos eruption.

This is the third time that the 3,142-meter-high volcano's emergency status is being extended, Chief of the Data and Information Center and Human Relations of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said on Saturday.

The extension of the emergency status is also aimed at easing the deployment of personnel, the use of budget, and the procurement and distribution of logistics, he noted.

A total of 133,457 evacuees are being sheltered at 385 different locations in eight districts and a municipality in Bali.

"The extension of Mount Agungs highest alert level is also intended to help meet the evacuees basic needs," he remarked.

He added that the volcano had shown no signs of eruption, 37 days after its alert status was raised to the highest level. "The number of tremors continues to fall, and the deformation is relatively stable," he noted.

The Center for Volcanology and Disaster Hazard Mitigation (PVMB) still maintains the highest alert level for the volcano by recommending a ban on any activity within a radius of 9 kilometers plus 12 kilometers from the peak of the volcano.

"PVMB will soon evaluate the status of Mount Agung based on the latest condition," he revealed. (*)