Mount Agung: Bali volcano preparations and prayers
- Published
Dark gas has been seen rising up to 3,400m (11,150ft) above Mount Agung on the Indonesian island of Bali, with explosions being heard as far as 12km (7 miles) away.
Local Hindus have been conducting a ceremony in the shadow of the volcano, praying that a major eruption will be prevented.
The volcano's last major eruption was more than 50 years ago - and left more than 1,000 people dead.
Authorities have ordered people within 10km (six miles) of the volcano to leave their villages.
Officials have prepared 500,000 face masks and told locals to wear them when they are outdoors.
The gas and ash irritate both eyes and skin and are particularly dangerous to people with respiratory illnesses.
About 25,000 people are already in temporary shelters - many evacuated in September, when Mount Agung started rumbling.
The holiday island has lost at least $110m (£83m) in tourism and productivity as a result of the evacuations.
Indonesia is home to more than 130 active volcanoes.
The country sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where the collision of tectonic plates leads to both earthquakes and volcanic activity.
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