Following a massive volcanic eruption in Indonesia, multiple airlines have cancelled their flights to Bali. Among others are Air India after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki sent an ash column 10 kilometres into the sky.
After the1,584 metre volcano forced an alert in the area, authorities signalled Indonesia’s highest-level of warning at the four-tier scale. As the danger zone expanded to 8 kilometres from the centre, a mushroom-shaped ash cloud was visible as much as 150 kilometres away.
Air India diversion
Bound for Bali, the Air India flight AI 2145 was advised an air return due to the condition following the volcanic eruption. The flight was scheduled to depart from the Denpasar International Airport in Bali, Indonesia at 10.30 am (local time) and was to land at the Indira Gandhi International Airport around 2.30 pm.
According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the Airbus A321 plane landed in Varanasi instead of Delhi around 3.50 pm. The flight was near the Delhi-UP border when it was diverted to Varanasi. This takes the flight cancellations from Air India following the Air India Ahmedabad plane crash has crossed 80. For the Delhi airport, due to multiple reason, it faced disruptions and delays with nearly 15 flight diversions.
Other flights cancelled
The volcanic eruption led to flights connecting Bali to Australia, Malaysia, India and China being cancelled. Since volcanic ash can pose a fatal risk to plane engines, flights were also cancelled from neighbouring tourist destinations like Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara province. Australian carrier Jetstar and Air New Zealand cancelled their flights too. While the Bali airport is functional, departing flights to Delhi, Singapore and Pudong were cancelled too.
Volcanic eruption
Due to the sudden and violent volcanic eruption in Indonesia, officers evacuated people from a 7km radius. Ash, debris and smoke was spread everywhere in the danger zone becoming hazardous for those who are present. While no casualties were reported, residents from Nurabelen village in Ile Bura subdistrict fled to evacuation sites.