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Qatar Tribune
8 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Bali flights cancelled after major volcano eruption
At least 32 flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali were cancelled after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted, sending a massive ash cloud more than 11 kilometres into the sky, aviation and disaster officials said. The latest major eruption occurred at dusk on Tuesday in East Flores district, on the eastern Indonesian island of Flores, prompting evacuations of vulnerable residents - including infants and the elderly - in nearby villages. Authorities said the volcano spewed a thick, grey column of ash reaching an altitude of 11,584 metres above sea level, accompanied by flows of volcanic matter in multiple directions on the ground. Although the ash plume did not reach Bali, airlines cancelled flights as a precaution, citing potential risks to aviation safety. 'Based on data received as of 9:30 local time Wednesday, 17 outbound and 15 inbound flights at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali were cancelled,' said Wahyudi, acting general manager of the airport operator Angkasa Pura. The affected outbound flights included 12 international routes - such as to Singapore, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, Shanghai, Auckland, and Delhi - and five domestic routes, mainly to Labuan Bajo and Semarang, Wahyudi said. Arriving flights from those same cities were also cancelled. Airlines offered passengers options including full refunds, rescheduling, or rerouting, he said. At least 10 people were killed after the volcano erupted in November last year. Lewotobi Laki-Laki, which rises to 1,584 metres above sea level, is one of two volcanoes in the Lewotobi group, which has a history of intermittent eruptions. Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has more than 120 active volcanoes, making it one of the most volcanically active countries in the world. (DPA)
CNA
11 hours ago
- CNA
Indonesia volcano eruption forces flight cancellations, evacuations
SIKKA: Dozens of flights were cancelled and evacuations ordered after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in eastern Indonesia erupted, sending a column of ash 10 kilometres into the sky, authorities said on Wednesday (Jun 18). The 1,584-metre volcano on Flores island erupted on Tuesday, prompting officials to raise its alert level to the highest on a four-tier scale. 'Due to volcano activity of Lewotobi Laki-Laki in East Nusa Tenggara, several flights at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport are cancelled,' airport operator Angkasa Pura Indonesia said in a statement. Flights operated by Jetstar and Virgin Australia, along with services by Air India, Tigerair, Juneyao Airlines and Air New Zealand, were affected, according to the Bali international airport website. Jetstar confirmed it had delayed flights to and from Bali, with expectations that the ash cloud would clear by Wednesday evening. AirAsia also said it had cancelled or rescheduled flights to Bali, Lombok and Labuan Bajo, and was assisting affected passengers. A total of 32 domestic and international flights at Bali's Ngurah Rai airport were cancelled. The airport remained open, with a customer service agent telling AFP, 'It depends on the route and also the airline.' Nearby, Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport in Maumere was closed until Thursday morning. Two additional local airports on Flores were also temporarily shut, Indonesia's transport ministry said. The eruption disrupted travel for approximately 14,000 passengers. TREMORS CONTINUE, EVACUATIONS UNDERWAY Volcanic ash fell on nearby villages, forcing the evacuation of at least one on Tuesday night, according to Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency. Ongoing tremors and eruptions were still being detected on Wednesday, spokesperson Abdul Muhari said. 'No less than 450 families from affected villages… have settled in temporary housing equipped with electricity and clean water facilities,' he said. The geology agency urged residents and tourists to remain at least seven kilometres away from the crater and warned of possible lahar flows, fast-moving volcanic mudflows — if rain falls in the area. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, meaning 'man' in Indonesian, is paired with a neighbouring peak, Lewotobi Perempuan ('woman'). In November, the volcano erupted repeatedly, killing nine people, disrupting international flights to Bali and displacing thousands. Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' and is prone to frequent volcanic and seismic activity.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Airlines cancel flights to and from Bali as Mount Lewotobi eruption forces evacuations, threatens lahar floods
SIKKA (Indonesia), June 18 — Dozens of flights to and from Indonesia's resort island of Bali were cancelled on Wednesday, authorities said, after a volcano in the archipelago's east erupted, shooting an ash tower 10 kilometres (six miles) into the sky. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584-metre (5,197-foot) volcano on the tourist island of Flores, erupted on Tuesday, 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 AFP 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 volcano', Bali's international airport website said. Jetstar confirmed cancellations to and from Bali in a statement on its website Wednesday. '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,' it said. Several domestic AirAsia flights leaving for popular tourist 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. An airport customer service agent told AFP the aviation hub was still operating normally despite the cancelled flights. 'It depends on the route and also the airline,' the agent, who declined to give her name, said. The Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport, a relatively smaller airport in nearby Maumere on Flores island was closed until Thursday morning, its authorities said on social media. Ongoing tremors Volcanic ash rained down on several villages around Lewotobi Laki-Laki and forced the evacuation of at least one village late Tuesday, the country's disaster mitigation agency said. Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said in a statement that tremors and eruptions were still being detected on Wednesday morning. 'No less than 450 families from affected villages... have settled in temporary housing equipped with electricity and clean water facilities,' he said. The geology agency said residents and tourists should avoid carrying out any activities within at least seven kilometres of the volcano's crater. 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 were no immediate reports of damages or casualties. In November, the volcano erupted multiple times, killing nine people, cancelling scores of international flights to Bali, and forcing thousands to evacuate. Laki-Laki, which means 'man' in Indonesian, is twinned with a calmer volcano peak named after the Indonesian word for 'woman'. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire.' — AFP
