JAKARTA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The number of people fleeing home has significantly risen to nearly 35,000 after the volcano alert status was raised to the highest level in the Bali resort island of Indonesia, a senior official said here on Saturday.
Volcanic activity remains high and there are indications of magma rising to the surface and causing tremors. Volcanologists raised its alert level on Friday with extension of dangerous zone for the second time.
Some 35,000 were evacuated, more than doubling the figure of 15,000 on Friday, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.
"The number of displaced persons are expected to keep rising," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the agency told Xinhua.
As of Sunday, the agency sent a total of 14 tons of aids, including blankets, communication devices, and a 1 billion rupiah (some 75,188 U.S. dollars) financial assistance to the evacuation centers for their operation, he said.
Emergency status has been declared by local authorities from Sept. 18 to Oct. 1, said Sutopo.
The spokesman called for sending assistance to the evacuated persons.
On Friday volcanologists extended the no-go zone to 9 km from the crater from 7.5 km, and 12 km for the areas in the north, northeast, southeast, south and southwest.
A total of 4.92 million foreign tourists visited Bali island, the center of Indonesia's tourism industry, last year, according to government data.
Indonesia, an archipelagic nation, is home to over 17,500 islands and a total of 129 active volcanoes.
