Bali flights cancelled as volcano erupts sending ash 8km into sky

At least seven international flights from Indonesia’s popular resort island Bali stand cancelled and many were delayed after a volcanic eruption sent ashes more than 8km high into the skies.

Authorities raised the alert status to the highest level after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, one of the twin active stratovolcanoes in East Flores Regency, Indonesia, erupted on Thursday night.

The large-scale eruption of the volcano in East Nusa Tenggara province happened after dozens of smaller ones had been erupting since Monday, the national geological agency said in a statement.

“The ash column was observed grey to black with thick intensity,” Indonesia’s volcanology agency said in a statement.

The mountain erupted for 11 minutes and nine seconds after the eruption began at 11pm on Thursday.

At least one person was injured during evacuations, a disaster mitigation agency spokesperson said, without sharing the details on the size or logistics of the evacuations.

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The man from Nurabelen village is believed to be in critical condition after suffering burn injuries from hot gravel or ash, according to Kompas news outlet.

However, there were no reports of damages to the villages around the volcano but residents have been warned of the potential for volcanic mudflow due to heavy rainfall.

Videos on social media showed a towering dark grey ash cloud rising into the sky after a loud explosion startled the residents. People began clearing mounds of grey ash that settled over the rooftops and inside the houses.

Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport said at least "seven international flights had been cancelled” with six of them being Jetstar flights bound for Australia.

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Many others, both domestic and international, were delayed, causing chaos among passengers bound to Thailand, Singapore and Australia.

Scoot, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, told CNA that four domestic flights to and from Bali have been retimed.

"Scoot apologises for the inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. We will continue to monitor the situation and will adjust our flight schedule as necessary," it said.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki is a part of the twin volcano system alongside Mount Lewotobi Perempuan, with their summits less than 2km apart. Standing at 1,584m (5,197ft) above sea level, Laki-Laki, meaning "man" in Indonesian, is the more active of the pair.

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Indonesia, situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is home to 130 active volcanoes and is prone to frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

At least nine people were killed and thousands had to be evacuated after the Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano erupted in November last year, pelting nearby villages with hot rocks and lava flows.

A number of homes were burned down, including a convent of Catholic nuns with at least 10,000 people affected by the eruption in Wulanggitang District.

In October 2024, Mount Marapi in West Sumatra erupted, spewing thick ash columns and blanketing nearby villages, though no casualties were reported.

In May, at least 37 people were killed after heavy rains triggered flash flooding that caused cold lava to flow down from Mount Marapi and destroy several nearby homes. Before that, Mount Ruang erupted in April, leading to the evacuation of thousands and raising concerns about potential tsunamis.