A daring French tourist has taken a selfie on top of a smouldering Balinese volcano despite heavy smoke rising from the crater and a serious eruption warning in place.
Karl Kaddouri climbed to the top of Mount Agung, which has been on the brink of eruption for three weeks now, and filmed a short video looking down at the billowing smoke.
The caption on the video read: ‘Last week it was 100 tremors, 500 in the last few days which indicates an imminent outbreak.
Karl Kaddouri climbed to the top of Mount Agung, which has been on the brink of eruption for three weeks now, and filmed a short video looking down at the billowing smoke (pictured)
‘So 120 people evacuated from different villages within a 12-mile radius. Warnings from different embassies. Since then, fleeing tourists and cancellations. No favorable conditions.
‘Yesterday I was alone, in the rain, in the parking lot of the temple.’
Daily Mail Australia has deciphered some of the French phrases and believe he is saying:
‘I’m making just a small video to explain to you two to three things. In fact, I am following the formula to get out of one’s comfort zone. What does that mean or how do we get there?
‘I am at about 100 metres. It makes lot of noise, can you hear? To get out of your comfort zone, I cannot imagine a better way than this,’ he says in the video
‘I am at about 100 metres. It makes lot of noise, can you hear? To get out of your comfort zone, I cannot imagine a better way than this,’ he continues.
‘Okay, I am going to go down because I have been allowed to come up to here and I am going to respect it. I’m not going to act like a fool.’
Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says the volcano is ‘very dangerous’ and could explode anytime.
It’s been at its highest alert level since September 22, sparking a great exodus of more than 140,000 people from the surrounding area.
Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says the volcano is ‘very dangerous’ and could explode anytime (pictured)
Last week, four Hindu priests also angered authorities by posting a video of the crater after climbing the peak to pray.
The Mount Agung volcano is located 75 kilometres from the resort hub of Kuta.
It has been shaking since August, threatening what could be its first eruption since 1963 which killed more than 1,100 people.
The Mount Agung volcano (pictured) is located 75 kilometres from the resort hub of Kuta
But authorities are not discouraging tourists from visiting Bali at this time, claiming businesses will be severely disrupted if holidaymakers don’t arrive.
Balinese Governor Mangku Pastika declared if the airport is closed because of the volcano, he will extend visas and provide accommodation for those stranded.
He also said for those who needed to get out urgently, a means would be provided.
‘If they really have to go then they have to go through Surabaya or Lombok, we will provide transport,’ he said.