Bali volcano - live updates: Airport reopens while Indonesia urges anyone in danger zone to get out
Authorities raise volcano warning to highest alert level
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Your support makes all the difference.The airport on the holiday island of Bali has reopened after tens of thousands of travellers were stranded for two days due to an erupting volcano, but Indonesia's President said the danger has not passed and urged anyone within the mountain's exclusion zone to get out "for the sake of their safety."
Mount Agung has been hurling clouds of white and dark gray ash about 7,600m (4.7 miles) into the atmosphere and lava is welling up in the crater, though it remains unclear how bad the current situation might get or how long it could last.
Indonesian authorities raised their warning for the volcano to the top level four alert earlier in the week, and told residents around the mountain to immediately evacuate, warning of an "imminent" risk of a larger eruption.
Airport spokesman Arie Ahsannurohim said the volcanic ash has drifted south and southeast, leaving clean space above the airport for planes to land and take off.
It has been closed since Monday morning, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of people.
The closure of the airport had stranded tens of thousands of travellers, affecting tourists already on Bali and people who were ready to fly to the island from abroad or within Indonesia.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ordered all concerned ministries and agencies, as well as the military and police, to help Bali's government deal with the disaster.
"I hope there will be no victims hit by the eruption," he said.
Authorities have told 100,000 people to leave homes nearest the volcano, though tens of thousands stayed because they felt safe or didn't want to abandon livestock.
Nearly 40,000 people are now staying in 225 shelters, according to the Disaster Mitigation Agency in Karangasem.
Mudflows have been seen on the mountain's slopes, and authorities warned more are possible, since it's the rainy season in Bali.
Mount Agung's last major eruption in 1963 killed about 1,100 people.
Indonesia sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire" and has more than 120 active volcanoes.
Additional reporting by agencies
China is arranging for 100 buses to take Chinese tourists to catch ferries to neighbouring Java.
The Chinese consulate said there were 17,000 Chinese tourists on Bali before the latest eruption.
The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement urging travelers to be "vigilant about safety" when deciding whether to visit Bali.
Here's a quick update on the situation so far:
- Ash from erupting Mount Agung has been hurled thousands of metres into the sky, encroaching on Bali airport's airspace and triggering its closure on Monday
- Authorities have ordered 100,000 people to leave a danger zone that extends 10 kilometres from the crater in places
- The area, which includes a much-visited Hindu temple on the slopes of the volcano, will be prone to deadly mudflows and lava
- The risk of mudflows, which combine water and volcanic debris, is high because it's the wet season in Bali. Authorities have warned people to stay away from rivers
- More than 400 flights to and from Bali were cancelled and nearly 60,000 travelers have been stranded
- Travel disruptions will ripple around the globe as the island is one of Asia's top destinations, attracting five million visitors a year
- December to January is one of the island's busy periods
- Travelers can still leave Bali, though probably at significant cost, by taking a ferry from Gilimanuk port to Banyuwangi on Java island to the west and then traveling by car, train or plane to the Indonesian capital Jakarta for international connection
- The government says it has provided 100 buses to transport people from the international airport to ferry ports
A spokeswoman for Virgin Holidays said: "Virgin Holidays is working closely with our partners in Bali to monitor the situation regarding Mount Agung.
"We have a small number of customers in the region and are in contact with them to provide alternative travel plans if needed.
"We will also contact customers due to travel to Bali over the next week to discuss their travel plans."
Ash from Bali's volcano is disrupting life on parts of the tourist island that are outside the immediate danger zone.
At Buana Giri village, some residents said they were leaving because the area is now inhospitable for their livestock.
Villager Made Kerta Kartika told the Associated Press ash has covered the area since Sunday and made farming difficult.
"Ash that covered the trees and grass is very difficult for us because the cows cannot eat," he said. "I have to move the cows from this village."
UK tourists stranded in Bali are being advised to avoid exclusion zones after an erupting volcano caused the island's international airport to close.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also urged holidaymakers to contact their travel company and monitor local media reports in an update to its travel advice.
Denpasar airport in Bali has faced major disruption with the ash spewing from Mount Agung.
Bali's airport spokesman Air Ahsanurrohim said 445 flights were cancelled, stranding about 59,000 travelers. The closure was in effect until Tuesday morning, though officials said the situation would be reviewed every six hours. It had a ripple effect across Indonesia, causing delays at other airports because of connecting flights.
Sarah Murphy, 40, and her friend Tina Lucke, 31, both from Brighton, East Sussex in the UK were due to fly home from the island on Monday but their flight was cancelled and they do not know when they will be able to leave.
The pair, who were able to extend their hotel stay in Padang Padang, saw smoke wafting from the top of the volcano when they visited a neighbouring island on Thursday.
Ms Murphy, told the Press Association: "The volcano is amazing to see. We honestly did not think too much about it and just imagined if it was to erupt it would be after we had left.
"There is not much we can do about it so I guess we just need to keep hoping they open the airport. I'm not worried about my safety at all at the moment as no-one else seems to be that worried, so it's quite comforting in a way.
"The locals seem pretty relaxed about it all. I have a friend who lives out here and she says they have been preparing for months now. Apparently if it does erupt the electricity will get turned off as it reacts with the ash."
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