Dozens of flights to Indonesian island Bali were cancelled after eruption of the Agung volcano. The local authorities closed the island’s airport and raised the alert on Mount Agung volcano to the highest level, amid fears a significant eruption could be imminent and smoke of thousand meters heights.
More than 2,000 passengers, including many Australian tourists, are affected by the closure of the airport.
The volcano, which previous eruption in 1963 killed nearly 1,600 people, woke up in September.
“Today, smoke raises to over 4,000 meters above. This caused cancellation of 28 flights”, said a spokeswoman at Denpasar International Airport. “However, the airport remains open and airlines will decide whether to cancel or divert their flights”, added she.
After the awakening of the volcano, the authorities announced a maximum degree of alarm and evacuated 140,000 people. A month later, the volcano calmed down and many people returned home, but Agung re-energized, prompting 25,000 people to seek safe shelter.
There are over 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia.
