Apocalyptic pictures taken inside Mount Agung’s ‘red-zone’ show volcanic ash blanketing the once-picturesque forests, eerily covering trees and temples in black soot after the volcano erupted last week.
The images, captured by local photographer Solo Imaji at Pura Pasar Agung just metres south of the volcano mouth, show the woodlands cascading off the mountain plastered by dried embers.
Photos of blackened leaves, lamp posts and street signs provide a chilling glimpse into the tug-of-war between mother nature and its impending doom.
Vast areas of the colourful island are now almost unrecognisable, and with earthquakes and seismic tremors increasing in the area, the threat of a catastrophic eruption looms closer.
More than 40,000 local residents have been evacuated from the danger sector surrounding Mount Agung, forced to live in temporary shelters until the rising magma either subsides or, more perilously, blows.
Foreboding clouds of ash have consistently been seeping out of the volcano, a constant reminder of its threat to the Balinese and international citizens still on the island.
Flights in and out of Bali have regularly been interrupted and cancelled, both due to the smoke and potential explosion.
Mount Agung’s crater is now more than one-third full, which means a violent eruption remains likely.
Apocalyptic pictures taken inside Mount Agung’s ‘red zone’ show volcanic ash blanketing the once-picturesque forests, eerily covering trees and temples in black soot after the volcano erupted last week
The images, captured by local photographer Solo Imaji at Pura Pasar Agung, show the contrast of the golden temple doors with the blackened remains of the ash clouds
An eerie haze covers the woodlands around Mount Agung, as the once-colourful forests now provides the setting for a post-apocalyptic world
The warm orange of a butterfly perfectly juxtaposes the harsh ash covering of the leaves surrounding Mount Agung
The vibrant greens have now been replaced by desolate greys and blacks as the volcano continues to smoke
Decaying weeds and volcanic soot cascade off street signs on the roads leading in and out of the red-zone
Ash has plastered the roof of a nearby temple and covered the lamp posts outside as darkness sweeps over the area
Ominous clouds linger over the soot-stained temples at the foot of the Balinese volcano
The now-blackened temples that are situated inside the volcano’s red-zone are now empty after more than 40,000 residents were evacuated
A monkey provides a rare source of life on the volcano which eerily awaits its fate
Statues and tributes outside Mount Agung’s temples have been lackered with ash as the volcano threatens to explode
Apocalyptic pictures taken inside Mount Agung’s ‘red zone’ show volcanic ash blanketing the once-picturesque forests, eerily covering trees and temples in black soot after the volcano erupted last week
The once-dense forests of the mountain are now haunted by the dried embers of the volcano