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Air NZ's bali flights resume after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki eruption
Air NZ's bali flights resume after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki eruption

RNZ News

time2 days ago

  • RNZ News

Air NZ's bali flights resume after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki eruption

Photo: STR/AFP Air New Zealand says its flight to Bali today will operate as planned. The airline cancelled two flights on Wednesday because of an ash cloud from the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki. Indonesian authorities said ash was fired up to 11km into the atmosphere. There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties. Indonesia's transport ministry said some 14,000 travellers had been affected by the eruption Air New Zealand said flight NZ290 from Auckland to Bali will operate as scheduled, but the airline is continuing to closely monitor the conditions. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1584-metre-high twin-peaked volcano on the tourist island of Flores, is one of Indonesia's most active volcanos, and last had a major eruption in November. That eruption killed nine people and also caused flight cancellations.

Indonesia volcano eruption forces flight cancellations, evacuations
Indonesia volcano eruption forces flight cancellations, evacuations

CNA

time2 days 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.

Even MORE tourist hotspot flights cancelled after gargantuan volcanic eruption that spewed ash & sparked tsunami fear
Even MORE tourist hotspot flights cancelled after gargantuan volcanic eruption that spewed ash & sparked tsunami fear

The Sun

time2 days ago

  • The Sun

Even MORE tourist hotspot flights cancelled after gargantuan volcanic eruption that spewed ash & sparked tsunami fear

DOZENS more flights to tourist hotspots have been cancelled after a massive ash cloud exploded from a volcano in Indonesia. Mount Lweotobi Laki-laki was seen spewing plumes of ash more than 11km into the sky on Tuesday - sparking fears of an impending tsunami. 7 7 7 Authorities raised the highest red alert and residents have been urged to avoid activities within a 7km radius around the crater. Multiple airlines have since delayed or cancelled flights to and from Bali, the popular holiday destination west of Flores. These include Air India, Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Juneyao Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia. Bali's Gusti Ngurah rai International Airport showed that almost 40 flights have been cancelled due to the explosion. A number of domestic AirAsia flights heading to Flores have also been axed. Japan's Meteorological Agency is investigating whether the eruption - with a 16,000-metre plume of ash - could spark a tsunami. The organisation said: "The possibility of a tsunami hitting Japan is currently under investigation. "If this eruption were to cause a tsunami to reach Japan, it is expected to arrive as early as 10pm in the Okinawa Prefecture area." They added: "The expected maximum height of the tsunami is unknown." Terrifying footage taken from a residential area nearby showed the moment a gargantuan plume of and orange and grey smoke erupted from the volcano. Shocking moment 1,000ft fiery lava jet erupts in 6-hour volcano frenzy as scientists warn of wind spreading toxic gas The humongous mushroom cloud towered over horrified locals who watched on as dark smoke spewed into the air. Visual observations taken earlier this week saw a significant increase in volcanic activity from Mount Lewotobi. The country's volcanology agency said it had raised the volcano's alert to its highest and most dangerous level. It also warned of potential lava flows if it rains. Volcano Observation Post Officer Yohanes Kolli Sorywutun confirmed the eruption in a statement. He said: "There was an eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 17:35 WITA." He added that there was an "observed ash column height of 10,000m above the peak (11,584 m above sea level)". Authorities in Indonesia said: "The public and tourists are advised not to carry out activities within a radius of 7km and the southwest-northeast sector 8 km from the eruption center." They also advised all those nearby to "remain calm and follow the directions of the local government". "People around disaster-prone areas should be aware of the potential for lava floods if heavy rain occurs," authorities also warned. 7 7 7 They provided instructions to the public if they encountered raining ash. "Residents affected by ash rain are advised to use masks or nose and mouth covers," officials said. In November last year, 10 people died after Mount Lewotobi spewed a fiery column of lava. Hot ashes hit several villages, burning down houses including a convent of Catholic nuns. Indonesia sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire", an area of high seismic activity atop multiple tectonic plates. In April 2024, a remote volcano in Indonesia erupted and sent a tower of ash more than five kilometres into the sky. Thousands were evacuated and an international airport was closed after Mount Ruang erupted several times. Within the same month, the 725-metre-tall volcano had already erupted more than half a dozen times, forcing more than 6,000 people to flee their homes.

Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcanic eruption grounds Bali flights as passenger safety remains paramount
Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcanic eruption grounds Bali flights as passenger safety remains paramount

News24

time2 days ago

  • News24

Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcanic eruption grounds Bali flights as passenger safety remains paramount

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in Indonesia erupted twice, spewing ash up to 11km high. At least 26 flights were cancelled or delayed affecting over 14 000 passengers. Three airports in East Nusa Tenggara province were closed until Thursday. More than 20 flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali were cancelled or delayed and three airports in East Nusa Tenggara province were closed due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, officials said on Wednesday. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, which is in East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted on Tuesday, spewing ash 11km high, forcing the country's volcanology agency to raise the alert level to its highest. It erupted again on Wednesday morning, belching a 1km high ash cloud, the agency said in a statement. At least 26 international and domestic flights were cancelled or delayed, Indonesia's transportation ministry said in a statement, affecting more than 14 000 passengers. These included at least 14 flights from India, Singapore and Australia to Bali, the Bali international airport website showed. Singapore Airlines cancelled four flights between Bali's Denpasar airport and Singapore, and its budget subsidiary Scoot cancelled flights to Bali and the neighbouring island Lombok, the airlines said. Qantas' low-cost carrier JetStar cancelled several morning flights to Bali from Australia and expects afternoon flights to be delayed. "Forecasts show the ash cloud is expected to clear by later tonight," JetStar said in a midday travel bulletin. A number of flights operated by AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia Indonesia to and from Bali, Lombok and Labuan Bajo were also cancelled or rescheduled, the company said in a statement. The government closed three airports in East Nusa Tenggara province, including Fransiskus Xaverius Seda in Maumere, from Wednesday until Thursday, as they prioritised the safety of the passengers, said the transportation ministry. The eruption also forced local authorities to evacuate dozens of residents living in two villages near the volcano, Avi Hallan, an official at the local disaster mitigation agency told Reuters. "Streets in the two villages were filled with thick ash, gravel, and sand," she said, adding 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.

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