On Wednesday, several international airlines, including Jetstar and Qantas, suspended flights to and from Bali due to dangerous volcanic ash clouds resulting from ongoing eruptions of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki. These eruptions have sent ash soaring up to 10 kilometers (32,808 feet) into the atmosphere, prompting thousands of locals and tourists to evacuate the area.
Flight-tracking services reported that other airlines, such as AirAsia and Virgin, also cancelled their services to Bali, a renowned tourist destination in Indonesia that attracts many visitors from Australia. The recent volcanic activity began on November 3 in East Nusa Tenggara province, approximately 800 kilometers (497 miles) from Bali, resulting in at least nine fatalities.
Since then, the volcano has erupted multiple times, including several occasions on Tuesday alone. Between November 4 and November 12, a total of 80 flights were cancelled from various locations including Singapore and Hong Kong. Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport has been significantly affected by the situation. With nearly 130 active volcanoes, Indonesia is situated in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for its intense seismic activity.
