By Ainur Rohmah
JAKARTA
Indonesia announced Sunday that ash spewing from a volcano has again led to the closure of one of its busiest international airports, disrupting plans for foreign travellers and many locals hoping to get home for Eid.
Transport Ministry Spokesperson J.A. Barata told Anadolu Agency Sunday that the Ngurah Rai International Airport on the resort island of Bali was closed as volcanic ash from Mount Raung could disturb flights.
"The closure will last until Sunday afternoon," he said.
The volcano in East Java province, about 150 kilometres from the airport, has been rumbling for several weeks, but its level of activity increased Friday blasting ash and debris 3,800 metres into the air.
The closure has caused mass disruption to travel.
Thousands of passengers have been left stranded, many of them Indonesian workers hoping to fly home for Eid.
On Friday, nearly 20,000 passengers were left unable to travel because of a temporary closure. The government also closed four other airports in East Java and Nusa Tenggara Province.
National Disaster Management Agency Spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Anadolu Agency that Mount Raung continued to rumble and had sent ash as high as 400-500 meters into the air on Sunday, blowing toward the south, southwest, and east.
He said flights could not travel in the area, and any airport reopening would "depend on the wind direction."
