More than 120,000 flee Bali volcano - Indonesian official

More than 120,000 people have fled the region around the Mount Agung volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali, fearing it will soon erupt, an official said Thursday. Nyoman Parwata, an official at the disaster mitigation agency’s command post in Bali, said the number of evacuees has swelled to about 122,500. They are scattered in more than 500 locations across the island, taking shelter in temporary camps, sports centers and other public buildings. The volcano has been at its highest alert level since Friday, sparking the massive exodus of villagers. Thousands of cows are also being evacuated. An exclusion zone around the mountain extends as far as 12km from the crater in places but officials say people farther from the volcano are leaving too. (AP)