Bali’s Mount Agung erupted once again in the wee hours of this morning, emitting a characteristic roar that sent those praying at Besakih Temple, which is located on the slopes of the volcano, scurrying.
Raw footage posted on @denpasar.viral shows Balinese Hindus dressed in ceremonial whites scampering downwards in the darkness.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvzZ5W3nv2r/
The eruption occurred at 1:30am, yet despite the late hour some Balinese Hindus were apparently still busy praying as part of the Panca Wali Krama, a rare series of ceremonies that has been going on at Besakih Temple for several weeks now.
A local source told Coconuts Bali that they were likely engaged in something called ‘mekemit,’ a practice where strong believers guard the temple, praying and sleeping there intermittently until sunrise.
Posted on @denpasar.viral, a video recorded from Agung’s observation post captures lava spurting from the volcano’s crater.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvzZkkfnMqe/
According to the official report by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Mitigation (PVMBG), the eruption lasted for a duration of three minutes and 37 seconds, and was accompanied by an ash column that rose 2,000 meters above the peak.
Following the eruption, Besakih Temple and the surrounding areas to the west and southwest were hit by ash rain.
Bali’s Board for Disaster Management (BPBD) said Agung’s latest flare-up was still relatively small, and as such the community should remain calm.
“People outside the four-kilometer radius can still move around as usual,” a BPBD representative told Kumparan.
Despite fairly regular small-scale eruptions, Mount Agung’s alert status remains at Level III (standby) and Bali’s airport remains open.
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