Kiwis stranded in Bali as Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki eruption cancels flights

Photo:
STR/AFP
A volcano in eastern Indonesia spewed a colossal ash tower into the sky and cancelled flights, after officials raised the alert level to the highest of a four-tiered system.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1584-metre-high twin-peaked volcano on the tourist island of Flores, erupted at 5:35 pm local time, the volcanology agency said in a statement.
"The height of the eruption column was observed at approximately 10,000 metres above the summit. The ash column was observed to be grey with thick intensity," it said, after the alert level was raised.
There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties.
The eruption has caused Air New Zealad flights to and from Bali to be cancelled.
"NZ290 from Auckland to Bali scheduled for this morning has been cancelled due to volcanic ash forecast to affect the airspace. As a result, the return service NZ291 from Bali to Auckland has also been cancelled," Air New Zealand Chief Operating Officer Alex Marren said.
"The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority and we are closely monitoring the situation. We will be rebooking impacted customers on the next available service to get them to their destination safely. We recommend customers keep an eye on the Air NZ app or website for the latest information on their flight."
Geology agency head Muhammad Wafid said residents and tourists should avoid carrying out any activities within at least seven kilometres of the volcano's crater.
But he 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 to rivers.
He also urged residents to wear face masks to protect themselves from volcanic ash.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Abdul Muhari said in a statement late Tuesday that at least one village had to evacuate, without providing numbers, and ash rain was reported in several villages outside the exclusion zone.
The spokesman called on residents around the volcano "to evacuate to safe locations" as tremors were still being detected, which indicated ongoing volcanic activity.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times in November, killing nine people and forcing thousands to evacuate, as well as the cancellation of scores of international flights to Bali.
There were no immediate reports of cancelled flights after Tuesday's eruption.
Laki-Laki, which means man in Indonesian, is twinned with the calmer but taller 1,703-metre (5,587-foot) volcano named Perempuan, 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/RNZ

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