emirates7 - Dozens of flights to and from Indonesia’s popular island of Bali were cancelled on Monday after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spewed a massive ash plume, reaching an altitude of 18 kilometres (11 miles), according to officials.
The eruption caused significant disruption just weeks after the same volcano had already impacted air travel to the renowned tourist destination.
The eruption occurred at 11:05 a.m. local time (0305 GMT) on the island of Flores, where the volcano is located, the country’s volcanology agency reported.
“Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted... with the ash column observed to rise around 18,000 meters above the summit,” the agency said.
As a result, 24 flights were cancelled at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, confirmed the airport's general manager, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab.
“Several airlines operating flights to Labuan Bajo (Flores), Australia, Singapore, and South Korea reported cancellations and delays,” he added, naming Virgin Australia, Jetstar Airways, and AirAsia Indonesia among the affected carriers.
Although ash-related disruptions caused flight cancellations, Shahab noted that the volcanic ash had not yet spread into Bali’s airspace.
Jetstar Airways of Australia confirmed the cancellations, citing ash clouds from the Mount Lewotobi eruption as the reason.
##Risk of Further Hazards
The volcanology agency warned that heavy rain could trigger dangerous lahar flows — fast-moving mixtures of volcanic debris and water — particularly affecting communities near rivers downstream from the volcano.
So far, there have been no reports of injuries or property damage.
The volcano is currently exhibiting intense activity, characterized by strong explosions and constant tremors, according to geology agency head Muhammad Wafid. He urged local residents to stay at least six kilometres away from the crater and to wear masks to protect themselves from inhaling ash particles.
In a similar eruption last month, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki blanketed nearby villages in ash, prompted the evacuation of at least one community, and caused the cancellation of numerous flights to Bali.
The volcano had also erupted several times in November, killing nine people, displacing thousands, and disrupting international air travel.
Lewotobi Laki-Laki, whose name means “man” in Indonesian, stands 1,584 meters (5,197 feet) high and is part of a twin volcanic system with the slightly taller but less active Lewotobi Perempuan — “woman” in Indonesian — which rises to 1,703 meters.
Indonesia, an archipelagic nation, lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The eruption caused significant disruption just weeks after the same volcano had already impacted air travel to the renowned tourist destination.
The eruption occurred at 11:05 a.m. local time (0305 GMT) on the island of Flores, where the volcano is located, the country’s volcanology agency reported.
“Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted... with the ash column observed to rise around 18,000 meters above the summit,” the agency said.
As a result, 24 flights were cancelled at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, confirmed the airport's general manager, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab.
“Several airlines operating flights to Labuan Bajo (Flores), Australia, Singapore, and South Korea reported cancellations and delays,” he added, naming Virgin Australia, Jetstar Airways, and AirAsia Indonesia among the affected carriers.
Although ash-related disruptions caused flight cancellations, Shahab noted that the volcanic ash had not yet spread into Bali’s airspace.
Jetstar Airways of Australia confirmed the cancellations, citing ash clouds from the Mount Lewotobi eruption as the reason.
##Risk of Further Hazards
The volcanology agency warned that heavy rain could trigger dangerous lahar flows — fast-moving mixtures of volcanic debris and water — particularly affecting communities near rivers downstream from the volcano.
So far, there have been no reports of injuries or property damage.
The volcano is currently exhibiting intense activity, characterized by strong explosions and constant tremors, according to geology agency head Muhammad Wafid. He urged local residents to stay at least six kilometres away from the crater and to wear masks to protect themselves from inhaling ash particles.
In a similar eruption last month, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki blanketed nearby villages in ash, prompted the evacuation of at least one community, and caused the cancellation of numerous flights to Bali.
The volcano had also erupted several times in November, killing nine people, displacing thousands, and disrupting international air travel.
Lewotobi Laki-Laki, whose name means “man” in Indonesian, stands 1,584 meters (5,197 feet) high and is part of a twin volcanic system with the slightly taller but less active Lewotobi Perempuan — “woman” in Indonesian — which rises to 1,703 meters.
Indonesia, an archipelagic nation, lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.