Bali Volcano: Google issues SOS Alert on search engine as fears grow of eruption
GOOGLE has issued a SOS alert on its search engine as fears grow that Bali’s largest volcano Mount Agung is on the brink of a massive eruption.
Bali volcano: Seismograph shows increased Mount Agung activity
The tool will help provide people caught up on the Indonesian island with key information in the case of an emergency, as seismic activity remains dangerously high.
Locals are living in a state of panic after Bali governor I Made Mangku Pastika declared the island under a state of emergency, with volcano experts warning Mount Agung could erupt at any moment.
The alert, named ‘Mount Agung volcano eruption’, is currently at the top of the search results when people look for the incident or location.
Locals will also be provided with maps, top stories and information from local experts.
SOS Alerts aim to make emergency information more accessible during a natural or human-caused crisis.
While some may be provided with a notification on their mobile phone to direct them to information, depending on how close they are to the affected areas.
Google writes: “SOS Alerts aim to make emergency information more accessible during a natural or human-caused crisis.
“Depending on the nature of the crisis and your location, you’ll see updates from local, national, or international authorities.
“We hope you never need to use crisis response features, but if you do, they’re designed to help keep you, and those you love, safe and informed.”
Google SOS alerts also work alongside other features including the search engine’s missing person finder, which can search for information about people following a disaster, its crisis map and public alerts for government warnings.
Fears the island’s highest volcano Mount Agung is on the brink of erupting forced more than 140,000 people to evacuate.
And overnight, Mount Agung was hit by 73 shallow earthquakes, 135 deep volcanic quakes and nine local tremors between midnight and 6am local time today.
The volcano continues to release plumes of white steam from its crater and the consensus among volcanologists is that an eruption is the most likely outcome at this point.
Rising more than 3,000 metres, Mount Agung is the island’s highest and most sacred volcano, home to the Pura Besakih temple complex that narrowly escaped the previous eruption
Mount Agung has not erupted since 1963, when it killed more than 1,100 people and injured 300 more.
Bali sits on the deadly Pacific Ring of Fire - the most active earthquake belt on the planet. It is thought that as much as 90 per cent of the world’s earthquakes occur along the belt.
The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation raised the volcano alert to 4, meaning an eruption could happen at any time.
Balinese locals continue to flee the danger zone, which stretches 7.5 miles around the volcano and white steam has been pouring out of Mount Agung.