More than 120,000 people have fled the region around the Mount Agung volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali, fearing it will soon erupt.
Nyoman Parwata, an official at the disaster mitigation agency's command post in Bali, said the number of evacuees has swelled to about 122,500.
They are scattered in more than 500 locations across the island famed for its beaches, lush green interior and elegant Hindu culture, taking shelter in temporary camps, sports centres and other public buildings.
The volcano has been at its highest alert level since Friday, sparking the massive exodus of villagers. Thousands of cows are also being evacuated.
An exclusion zone around the mountain extends as far as 12km from the crater in places but officials say people further from the volcano are leaving too.
Agung, which dominates the landscape in the northeast of the island, last erupted in 1963, killing more than 1100 people. It remained active for about a year.
Volcanologists say the recent dramatic escalation in tremors indicates an eruption is more likely than not, but they can't say with certainty when it will happen.
"I would definitely be following the advice to stay outside the exclusion zone," said Heather Handley, an assistant earth sciences professor at Sydney's Macquarie University. The increase in tremors suggests an eruption is "imminent," she said.
The mountain, about 70km to the northeast of the tourist hot spot of Kuta, is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia.
