A week ago the Indonesian authorities issued the highest possible volcano alert after Mount Agung started spewing white smoke and sending out tremors.
On Monday Kasbani, head of the Indonesian Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM), warned that an eruption could be just a “matter of hours” away.
Mount Agung has not yet erupted by the mass evacuations are continuing, many from within the danger zone that stretches up to 7.5 miles from the volcano.
There are still many hundreds of earthquakes daily, suggesting that Mount Agung is about to erupt.
A high number of volcanic earthquakes are being recorded within 12 miles of Mount Agung due to magma movement inside the volcano, the latest CVGHM update said.
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The magnitude of the volcanic earthquakes is increasing with a 4.3 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday and some of the biggest earthquakes ever felt in Denpasar and Kuta areas.
Kasbani, head of the CVGHM, said white steam clouds occasionally rise 50 to 200 metres above the summit and their frequency is now increasing.
He added: “The probability of an eruption is higher than the probability of no eruption; however, the probability may change at any time depending on current monitoring data.
“If an eruption does occur, it is most likely to be small at first; however, a large eruption may follow. The size of future eruptions cannot be determined with certainty.
“The exact date and time of future eruptions cannot be predicted, however; CVGHM will issue warnings when conditions change and eruptions are more certain.”
Mount Agung’s devastating eruption of 1963 was also preceded by a high number of volcanic earthquakes. More than 1,100 people were killed by the eruption.
Gusti Ayu Wati, 82, an elderly woman who survived the 1963 eruption, said evacuation instructions had come much earlier this time.
“Back then we weren’t evacuated until it got really dangerous,” she said.
“Life went on as normal when ash and gravel was falling on us, until the big lava came out and destroyed everything.”