Indonesia Shuts Down Bali Airport After Volcano Erupts At Mount Agung!

The Indonesian government has shut down Bali’s international airport after a Volcanic eruption on Thursday evening.

Here are all the details about the incident –

• Mount Agung, a popular tourist destination in Bali, erupted last night sending volcanic ashes several miles high into the sky.
• Almost 450 flights have been cancelled, which include 207 international flights.
• It is estimated that 75000 air travellers have been affected by this incident.
• Domestic airports at Banyuwangi and Jember in Java have also been closed down.
• Airlines such as PT Garuda, Singapore Airlines and Qantas Airways have cancelled all their flights to and from Bali.
• AirAsia Indonesia has cancelled at least 50 flights.

The Airport was shut down at 3:00 a.m. local time, and authorities will review the closing at 12:00 p.m. today, after taking into account the latest volcanic ash distribution data.

Indonesian authorities have closed down the Ngurah Rai International Airport, in Bali, for the second time in seven months due to volcanic activity in the region.

Mt. Agung, which is about 70 kilometres northeast of Bali’s tourist hotspot, Kuta, last had a major eruption in the year 1963, taking the lives of about 1,100 people.

National disaster agencies had issued a ‘High Alert’ after increased volcanic activity at the mountain in 2017,causing thousands of people to evacuate nearby cities. However, things became normal by February 2018 and authorities lowered the alert status.

Indonesia is located in the Pacific’s “Ring Of Fire” region which is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. There are almost 120 active volcanos in the region which is monitored by government and other seismologic agencies.