Australians travelling to and from Bali have had their plans thrown into disarray by the dramatic eruption of a volcano in Indonesia.
The rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki exploded, sending a column of volcanic materials as high as 18 kilometres into the sky.
The volcano unleashed an avalanche of searing gas and clouds down its slopes, according to Indonesia’s Geology Agency.
Villages have been covered in ash by the volcano’s stunning awakening for the second time in as many months.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The huge ash plume forced the cancellation or delay of international flights from Australia to Bali.
At least 24 flights between Bali and Australia, Singapore, South Korea were cancelled and many others delayed by Monday afternoon, an official at Bali’s airport told Reuters.
At least three Virgin Australia services were cancelled and Qantas delayed two flights, while its low-cost carrier Jetstar said several flights between Bali and Australia had been cancelled, according to Reuters.
Delays on Tuesday were possible depending on the movement of the ash cloud.
The volcano’s alert status has been raised to the highest level after an eruption on June 18. An exclusion zone has more than doubled to 7 kilometres as eruptions have become more frequent.
An eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in November killed nine people and injured dozens. It also erupted in March.
Geology Agency chief Muhammad Wafid said the column exploding from the volcano was the highest since the November 2024 eruption.
“An eruption of that size certainly carries a higher potential for danger, including its impact on aviation,” Wafid told The Associated Press.
“We shall re-evaluate to enlarge its danger zone that must be cleared of villagers and tourist activities.”
Indonesia is an archipelago of 270 million people with frequent seismic activity.
It has 120 active volcanoes and sits along the “Ring of Fire”, a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
-with AAP
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