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DOZENS OF FLIGHTS to and from Indonesia’s resort island of Bali have been cancelled after a volcano erupted, shooting an ash tower 10 kilometres into the sky.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584-metre volcano on the tourist island of Flores, erupted yesterday, with authorities raising its alert status to the highest level of a four-tiered system.
“Due to volcano activity of Lewatobi Laki-Laki in East Nusa Tenggara, several flights at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport are cancelled,” airport operator Angkasa Pura Indonesia told the AFP news agency in a statement.
The flights cancelled included Jetstar and Virgin Australia services to cities across Australia, with Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore’s Tigerair and China’s Juneyao Airlines also cancelling flights due to the volcano eruption.
Jetstar confirmed cancellations to and from Bali in a statement on its website this morning: “Forecasts show the ash cloud is expected to clear by later tonight. As a result, this afternoon’s flights will be delayed to operate later this evening.”
Several domestic flights leaving for popular hotspot Labuan Bajo on Flores were also cancelled. Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport said 32 flights in and out of the island had been cancelled on domestic and international routes.
The aviation hub is still operating normally, despite the cancelled flights, as cancellations depend on the route and the airline. Smaller airports on the island have been closed until tomorrow.
Volcanic ash has fallen on several villages around Lewotobi Laki-Laki and forced the evacuation of at least one village last night.
The emergency services on the island said tremors and eruptions are still being detected this morning. Around 450 families from villages impacted by the eruption have been moved to temporary housing.
Residents and tourists should avoid carrying out any activities within at least seven kilometres of the volcano’s crater, the Indonesian geology agency said.
It warned of the possibility of hazardous lahar floods – a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials – if heavy rain occurs, particularly for communities near rivers. There are no immediate reports of damages or casualties.
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