Exodus from Bali volcano nears 100,000 as tremors intensify

BALI, Indonesia – The exodus from a menacing volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali is nearing 100,000 people as hundreds of tremors from the mountain are recorded daily.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said Wednesday that more than 96,000 people have fled the area around the Mount Agung volcano.

It says a monitoring center recorded more than 800 earthquakes so far Wednesday and thin smoke has been observed rising 50 meters (160 feet) above the crater.

The volcano last erupted in 1963, killing more than 1,100 people.

Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nguroho said the chances of an eruption are "quite big," although experts can't predict when with certainty.