Dozens of flights were canceled to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Wednesday after a volcano in the east of the archipelago erupted, sending a column of ash 10 kilometers high into the sky.
The 1-meter-high Levotobio Laki-Laki volcano on the tourist island of Flores erupted on Tuesday, raising the alert level to the highest on a four-stage system.
Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia have been canceled, while Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's Tigerair and China's Juneyao Airlines have also canceled flights due to the erupting volcano, Bali International Airport said.
The ash cloud was expected to dissipate by evening.
Volcanic ash fell on several villages around Levotoby in Laki-Laki, with at least one village evacuated on Tuesday, the country's disaster mitigation agency said, adding that tremors were still being recorded, indicating that volcanic activity was continuing. Residents and tourists warning to stay at least seven kilometers away from the volcano's crater. There were no reports of damage or casualties.
The volcano erupted several times in November, killing nine people, canceling international flights to the tourist island of Bali, and forcing the evacuation of thousands of people.
The island nation of Indonesia frequently experiences seismic and volcanic activity due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire."
Viljama Sudikiene (AFP)
