Massive Twin-Peaked Volcano Erupts In Indonesia, Bali Flights Cancelled: Watch

A massive volcanic eruption in eastern Indonesia forced dozens of flights of flight cancellations to and from Bali.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted at 5.35pm local time on Tuesday prompting authorities to raise country's highest disaster alert level of a four-tiered system in response to the eruption, reported The Guardian. 

The twin-peaked volcano on the tourist island of Flores, east of Bali towered 1,584 metres with clouds and ashes.

“The height of the eruption column was observed at approximately 10,000 metres above the summit. The ash column was observed to be grey with thick intensity,” said Indonesia's volcanology agency in a statement. 

There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties.

Bali Flights Cancelled  

The volcanic eruption has triggered a wave of flight cancellations across several airlines operating routes to and from Bali, leaving many travellers stranded or facing delays.

Virgin Australia confirmed it was forced to cancel select services between Brisbane, Melbourne, and Bali on Wednesday due to volcanic activity in the region. The airline cited safety concerns as the primary reason for grounding the flights, as per the report. 

Jetstar followed suit, cancelling four inbound flights to Bali from Australia during the early hours of the day. Meanwhile, Qantas announced it was “closely monitoring” the situation, with scheduled departures for later in the afternoon still under review.

Air New Zealand also took precautionary measures, suspending two flights between Auckland and Bali. “Safety is always our first priority, and we will only operate into and out of Denpasar when it is safe to fly,” the airline stated, emphasising its commitment to passenger welfare amid the unpredictable conditions caused by volcanic ash.

According to Bali’s international airport website, several other international carriers—including Air India, TigerAir Singapore, and China’s Juneyao Airlines—also cancelled flights on Wednesday, citing the volcanic eruption as the cause.

In addition to international services, domestic operations were not spared. Multiple AirAsia flights bound for Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores were scrapped, adding to the disruption across Indonesia’s airspace.

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