Many flights to Indonesia’s Bali cancelled after volcano eruption

Alarabiya English - Several flights to the Indonesian resort island of Bali were cancelled and the airport in Maumere in East Nusa Tenggara province was closed due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, officials said on Wednesday.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, located in East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted on Tuesday, spewing ash 11 km (6.84 miles) high and prompting the country’s volcanology agency to raise the alert level to the highest.

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It erupted again on Wednesday morning, belching a 1 km (0.62 mile) high ash cloud, the agency said in a statement.

Several international flights from India, Singapore and Australia to Bali were cancelled due to the eruption, according to the Bali international airport website.

The government closed the Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport in Maumere from Wednesday until Thursday “to ensure the safety of the passengers,” airport operator AirNav said in an Instagram post.

The eruption also forced local authorities to evacuate dozens of residents living in two villages near the volcano, said Avi Hallan, an official at the local disaster mitigation agency.

“Streets in the two villages were filled with thick ash, gravel, and sand,” she said, adding that no casualties were reported.

The volcano last erupted in May.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of high seismic activity atop multiple tectonic plates.