Bali volcano: Villagers told to GET OUT NOW – Mt Agung could erupt within HOURS

Photos from the island show as citizens go about their everyday lives despite the growing fears there could be another, larger eruption.

Officials have ordered the evacuation of some 100,000 people but many residents are resisting the calls.

It is estimated just 40,000 have fled despite experts warning the 3,000metre high volcano could explode within the next few hours.

President Joko Widodo implored residents living in the danger zone around Mt Agung to seek refuge in emergency centres.

He said: ”Those in the eight to ten-kilometre radius must truly take refuge for safety.

“There must not be any victims hit by the eruption.”

The disaster agency suggested some were staying behind to protect gardens and livestock.

In a statement, officials said: “Not all villagers in the dangerous radius are willing to evacuate. Until now there are still many people who remain in their houses.”

The volcano’s last major eruption in 1963 killed about 1,100 people, but it’s unclear how bad the current eruption might get or how long it could last.

A huge plume of white and grey smoke continues to hover above Agung, which spewed ash 74.7 miles high and forced the closure of the island’s international airport for almost three full days.

The nighttime rain had partially obscured the fiery glow seen at its peak in the last few days.

But experts say they have detected significant changes in the mountain which could main an eruption is inevitable.

NASA satellites have detected a thermal anomaly at the crater, according to senior Indonesian volcanologist Gede Swantika.

That means a pathway from the storage chamber in the volcano’s crust has opened, giving magma easier access to the surface.

Officials at the Disaster Mitigation Agency said in a statement on Monday that a Bali volcano eruption is “imminent” though the exact scale remains unclear.

The statement read: “Continuing plumes of smoke are occasionally accompanied by explosive eruptions and the sound of weak blasts that can be heard up to 12 km (seven miles) from the peak.

“Rays of fire are increasingly visible from night to the following day. This indicates the potential for a larger eruption is imminent.”

Monitoring has shown the northeastern part of Agung’s peak had swollen in recent weeks “indicating there is fairly strong pressure toward the surface”, the centre said.