Bali Tourists Flood Instagram With Mount Agung Volcano Photos as Thousands Evacuate
The eruption of the Mount Agung volcano on the island of Bali this week has forced thousands to evacuate their homes, closed international airports and stranded travelers. But for some tourists, the natural disaster is an opportunity to snag a pretty photo. Instagram has been flooded this week with posts from people posing for the camera in front of smoke clouds rising from the volcano. While Indonesian officials have said as many as 150,000 people may need to move out of the danger zone near the mountain, according to the New York Times, photographers and social media stars have not let that deter them. Even the volcanic ash and magma spewed by the eruption does not seem to affect the photos spreading on social media. Many have posted photos using the volcano's smoke as a backdrop with captions that sing nature's praises. Others acknowledge the potentially scary situation, but either say they are not afraid or post captions indicating the view is worth any fear. And still other social media posters just want you to know they're enjoy their drinks in front of an erupting volcano.