Mount Agung: Thousands evacuated amid fears Bali volcano could erupt after 'tremendous increase' in seismic activity

Thousands of tourists have been evacuated over fears a volcano could erupt in Bali for the first time in 50 years.

Indonesia has issued the highest level of alert for a volcano as 11,000 locals fled their homes on Saturday to take shelter in sports centres and village halls amid fears Mount Agung would wreak havoc on the resort island.

It last erupted in 1963, killing 1,100 people.

Authorities sounded the alarm on Friday following a "tremendous increase" in seismic activity.

Villager Made Suda said he fled his home overnight with 25 family members to stay in the Klungkung sports centre.

"I feel grief and fear, feel sad about leaving the village and leaving four cows because it's empty. Everyone has evacuated," he added.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency advised an exclusion zone within six miles of the crater and within seven-and-a-half miles to the north, north east, south east and south-south west, where lava could flow and rapidly moving white-hot ash clouds could reach.

Waskita Sutadewa, spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency in Karangasem district around Mount Agung, said nearly 11,300 villagers had officially been evacuated.

He said the real number of displaced might be two or three times that, since many have voluntarily fled their homes.

Officials said there is no current danger to people in other parts of Bali, a popular tourist island famous for its surfing, beaches and elegant Hindu culture.

"I hope the eruption is not too big and hopefully not many houses are destroyed," said Wayan Yuniartini, who left his village on Friday night with family members.

"I was very worried last night," he said. "At 11.30 pm we said 'we have to leave' and many other people in our area were also leaving."

During its last eruption in 1963, the 9,994-feet Agung hurled ash as high as 6 miles and remained active for about a year.

The mountain, 45 miles to the northeast of the tourist hotspot of Kuta, is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia.

The country of thousands of islands is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.