Australian tourists have found themselves stranded in Bali after volcanic eruptions forced the cancellation of flights to and from Indonesia.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted several times over the weekend, sending ash clouds across the region and to an altitude of 5,500 metres. It is situated on the remote island of Flores, in East Nusa Tenggara province.
The eruptions have forced airlines such as Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar to cancel flights.
“Like many airlines, a number of Jetstar flights to and from Bali have been disrupted tonight due to a volcanic ash cloud from Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia,” Jetstar said in a statement.
“Impacted customers have been notified directly and provided a range of options, including rebooking their travel for no charge or cancelling their bookings and obtaining a voucher to the value of their untravelled flight/s.”
Some 16,000 locals are being evacuated as the volcano continues to erupt. At least nine people are believed to have died since the eruptions began.
“The safety of our guests and crew is our highest priority,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson said.
“We regret the inconvenience this has caused our passengers, and our team is working hard to ensure all passengers booked on our services get to their destination safely and as soon as possible.”
Travellers heading to Bali have been urged to contact their airline to check for any flight changes or cancellations.
