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100,000 Urged to Flee Ahead of Bali Volcano Eruption

Hundreds of flights have been canceled and tens of thousands of passengers are stranded.

Indonesian authorities on Monday warned they would “forcibly evacuate” residents on the resort island of Bali if thousands of villagers don’t get out of the area ahead of an imminent eruption of the Mount Agung volcano. Authorities raised the alert level to its highest on Monday morning after the volcano erupted three times over the weekend, sending thick ash clouds into the sky. As of Monday morning, the airport had been closed, hundreds of flights were canceled, and at least 7,000 passengers were stranded. Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency expanded the danger zone around the volcano and said as many as 100,000 people need to evacuate, though less than half that number have left so far. A spokesman for the agency said some residents don’t want to leave but “authorities will comb the area to persuade them,” the Associated Press reports. “If needed, we will forcibly evacuate them,” he said.