An undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck south of Indonesia's Bali on Tuesday, the European earthquake monitoring agency EMSC said, causing minor damage and prompting residents and visitors on the tourist island to briefly flee buildings.

There were no reports of casualties and no tsunami warning issued by the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center or the Indonesian quake monitoring agency.

The epicentre was 102 km (62 miles) southwest of the island capital Denpasar and was 100 km (60 miles) deep, the EMSC said.

The US&nbsp;Geological Survey recorded the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7.

One resident said people in Denpasar ran out of their boarding house in pyjamas after feeling the quake.

A Twitter user with the handle Indounik in the city of Ubud on Bali said the quake was "strong enough to make me adopt the drop, cover &amp; hold approach recommended to survive a quake".

Another Twitter user, Marc van Voorst, described the quake as feeing like "a heavy truck or a train passing by at close range". He said there was no panic, even though his hotel in the Uluwatu area shook quite a bit.

Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency distributed a photograph of damage at the Lokanatha temple in Denpasar, showing smashed masonry lying on the ground. Bali is a predominantly Hindu enclave in overwhelmingly Muslim Indonesia.

Luis Winarto, a sales administrator at the Mercure Hotel Nusa Dua, said by telephone a small part of the building's roof had been damaged.

"We felt the quake quite strongly...but thankfully no one was hurt and there was only minor damage," he said.

"Everything has gone back to normal now."

There was also minor damage at a school, a house and a temple in different areas on the southern side of Bali, according to online portal Balipost.com.

The quake could also be felt in other cities on the neighbouring islands of Lombok and Java, Indonesia's meteorology and geophysics agency said in a statement.

A roof of a mosque in the city of Banyuwangi in East Java also partially collapsed, another photo from the disaster mitigation agency showed.

The transport ministry said Bali airport was operating normally.

Indonesia suffers frequent earthquakes, sometimes causing tsunamis, because it lies on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.

Its Moluccas islands were hit by a powerful 7.2 quake on Sunday that killed at least two people and prompted hundreds to flee their homes.

The most devastating tremor in recent Indonesian history was on Dec. 26, 2004, when a magnitude 9.5 quake triggered a tsunami that killed around 226,000 people along the shorelines of the Indian Ocean, including more than 126,000 in Indonesia.

A tsunami also hit the city of Palu in Sulawesi last year, killing thousands.

An undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck south of Indonesia's Bali on Tuesday, the European earthquake monitoring agency EMSC said, causing minor damage and prompting residents and visitors on the tourist island to briefly flee buildings.

An undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck south of Indonesia's Bali on Tuesday, the European earthquake monitoring agency EMSC said, causing minor damage and prompting residents and visitors on the tourist island to briefly flee buildings. There were no reports of casualties and no tsunami warning issued by the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center or the Indonesian quake monitoring agency. The epicentre was 102 km (62 miles) southwest of the island capital Denpasar and was 100 km (60 miles) deep, the EMSC said. The US Geological Survey recorded the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7. One resident said people in Denpasar ran out of their boarding house in pyjamas after feeling the quake. A Twitter user with the handle Indounik in the city of Ubud on Bali said the quake was "strong enough to make me adopt the drop, cover & hold approach recommended to survive a quake". Another Twitter user, Marc van Voorst, described the quake as feeing like "a heavy truck or a train passing by at close range". He said there was no panic, even though his hotel in the Uluwatu area shook quite a bit. Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency distributed a photograph of damage at the Lokanatha temple in Denpasar, showing smashed masonry lying on the ground. Bali is a predominantly Hindu enclave in overwhelmingly Muslim Indonesia. Luis Winarto, a sales administrator at the Mercure Hotel Nusa Dua, said by telephone a small part of the building's roof had been damaged. "We felt the quake quite strongly...but thankfully no one was hurt and there was only minor damage," he said. "Everything has gone back to normal now." There was also minor damage at a school, a house and a temple in different areas on the southern side of Bali, according to online portal Balipost.com. The quake could also be felt in other cities on the neighbouring islands of Lombok and Java, Indonesia's meteorology and geophysics agency said in a statement. A roof of a mosque in the city of Banyuwangi in East Java also partially collapsed, another photo from the disaster mitigation agency showed. The transport ministry said Bali airport was operating normally. Indonesia suffers frequent earthquakes, sometimes causing tsunamis, because it lies on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire. Its Moluccas islands were hit by a powerful 7.2 quake on Sunday that killed at least two people and prompted hundreds to flee their homes. The most devastating tremor in recent Indonesian history was on Dec. 26, 2004, when a magnitude 9.5 quake triggered a tsunami that killed around 226,000 people along the shorelines of the Indian Ocean, including more than 126,000 in Indonesia. A tsunami also hit the city of Palu in Sulawesi last year, killing thousands.

Undersea quake near Indonesia's Bali causes panic, minor damage

After riding <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-warns-china-of-serious-consequences-if-hong-kong-rights-not-honoured-232315">China</a>'s demand train for nearly two decades, Asia's coal industry is looking to a future of smaller markets and slimmer pickings, as buying declines in the world's second-biggest economy and climate change concerns blunt demand.

By far the biggest user of coal-fired power, China is buying less thermal coal from global markets, said delegates to Asia's premier coal conference last month in Bali, both as renewables gain market share and as it digs up more of its own supply.

A backlash against coal is also growing in the West. Last week, investors managing nearly half the world's invested capital demanded ahead of a Group of 20 summits in Osaka that governments take urgent action on climate change.

Delegates to Coaltrans in Bali, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-troops-flood-jakarta-streets-after-post-election-riots-220989">Indonesia</a>, however, said that while coal's glory days are done, reports of its imminent demise have been greatly exaggerated.

"Coal will continue to provide low-cost energy. We are looking at increasing demand in Southeast Asia, so we are still positive," said Hendri Tan, marketing director at PT Adaro Indonesia, a unit of PT Adaro Energy, Indonesia's second-biggest coal producer.

Indonesia is the world's biggest exporter of thermal coal, used primarily for power generation, shipping out 429 million tonnes last year and accounting for 43% of the 1 billion-tonne-a-year seaborne market, according to Australian government data.

Around 124 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired power capacity is under development in Southeast and South Asia, both key markets for Indonesia, and that is expected to offset declining demand from China, said the chairman of Indonesia Coal Mining Association, Pandu Sjahrir.

Indonesia itself is expected to add some 50 million tonnes a year of coal-fired power demand by 2023, he said, a rise of 55% that would make it one of Asia's biggest consumers.

As China takes less, economies like India, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Philippines are also expected to pick up the slack, delegates said.

Between 2014 and 2018, China's coal demand fell by 2.4%, while India's swelled by 16.7%, according to BP's Statistical Review of World Energy report this year. Over the same period, Vietnam's coal use grew by 65% and Indonesia's by 36%, helping to offset falls in the United States, Japan and Germany as well.

 
Beach parties end, belly dancers, stay home

Indonesia shot to prominence as a coal producer last decade as it dug out and shipped the fuel to meet power demand from China, eventually outstripping then leader Australia.

As China's manufacturing might grow, so too did its hunger for electricity, turning it into a net thermal coal importer around 2004. That was a bonanza for miners and helped establish Coaltrans in Bali as the industry's main event in Asia.

 
During the boom years, companies would battle to outdo each other at Coaltrans with lavish beach parties. One Uzbekistan company flew in belly dancers to entertain potential customers drinking free-flow vodka and eating caviar, delegates said.

"People were throwing money at everything," said SMG Consultants' Alistair MacDonald, who has attended Coaltrans since 2000. But times have changed, he said.

"The bankers aren't here. A lot of the services like insurers aren't here any more," he said. "It's a lot more domestic (Indonesian) players, and they want to be perceived as energy companies, not as coal companies."

Staring at prospects of tougher conditions ahead, Indonesia's large thermal coal miners are diversifying into other geographies and other industries, Sacha Winzenried, a partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, told Reuters.

"They are looking into renewables, other infrastructure, supply chain support such as water, utilities, shipping and logistics," Winzenried said.

Indonesia's Adaro Energy bought an Australian coal mine from Rio Tinto last year. And Indonesian state coal miner Bukit Asam is targeting commercial operation of four coal processing plants in South Sumatra that would extract gas from, as well as burn, coal.

Financing dries up

Delegates also noted the difficulty of getting financing for their businesses, working capital and further investments, and some were pessimistic on the coal industry's longevity.

One mining engineer in his fifties, who had spent most of his career in coal at a major miner and also had an MBA, saw his career options as limited.

"I've spent twenty years in coal. Where can I go next?" he said. "I would not recommend any young people join this industry."

Still, renewables are not expected to make the same inroads in emerging Asian economies as in developed nations, because Asian governments are working to provide cheap baseload power from coal, and renewables can't compete on scale or price, said an industry analyst, declining to be named due to his listed company's policy.

"Less coal will mean a less polluted world," he said. "But if you don't want (coal) to exist, then you have to come up with a realistic alternative."

After riding China's demand train for nearly two decades, Asia's coal industry is looking to a future of smaller markets and slimmer pickings, as buying declines in the world's second-biggest economy and climate change concerns blunt demand.

After riding China's demand train for nearly two decades, Asia's coal industry is looking to a future of smaller markets and slimmer pickings, as buying declines in the world's second-biggest economy and climate change concerns blunt demand. By far the biggest user of coal-fired power, China is buying less thermal coal from global markets, said delegates to Asia's premier coal conference last month in Bali, both as renewables gain market share and as it digs up more of its own supply. A backlash against coal is also growing in the West. Last week, investors managing nearly half the world's invested capital demanded ahead of a Group of 20 summits in Osaka that governments take urgent action on climate change. Delegates to Coaltrans in Bali, Indonesia, however, said that while coal's glory days are done, reports of its imminent demise have been greatly exaggerated. "Coal will continue to provide low-cost energy. We are looking at increasing demand in Southeast Asia, so we are still positive," said Hendri Tan, marketing director at PT Adaro Indonesia, a unit of PT Adaro Energy, Indonesia's second-biggest coal producer. Indonesia is the world's biggest exporter of thermal coal, used primarily for power generation, shipping out 429 million tonnes last year and accounting for 43% of the 1 billion-tonne-a-year seaborne market, according to Australian government data. Around 124 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired power capacity is under development in Southeast and South Asia, both key markets for Indonesia, and that is expected to offset declining demand from China, said the chairman of Indonesia Coal Mining Association, Pandu Sjahrir. Indonesia itself is expected to add some 50 million tonnes a year of coal-fired power demand by 2023, he said, a rise of 55% that would make it one of Asia's biggest consumers. As China takes less, economies like India, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Philippines are also expected to pick up the slack, delegates said. Between 2014 and 2018, China's coal demand fell by 2.4%, while India's swelled by 16.7%, according to BP's Statistical Review of World Energy report this year. Over the same period, Vietnam's coal use grew by 65% and Indonesia's by 36%, helping to offset falls in the United States, Japan and Germany as well. Beach parties end, belly dancers, stay home Indonesia shot to prominence as a coal producer last decade as it dug out and shipped the fuel to meet power demand from China, eventually outstripping then leader Australia. As China's manufacturing might grow, so too did its hunger for electricity, turning it into a net thermal coal importer around 2004. That was a bonanza for miners and helped establish Coaltrans in Bali as the industry's main event in Asia. During the boom years, companies would battle to outdo each other at Coaltrans with lavish beach parties. One Uzbekistan company flew in belly dancers to entertain potential customers drinking free-flow vodka and eating caviar, delegates said. "People were throwing money at everything," said SMG Consultants' Alistair MacDonald, who has attended Coaltrans since 2000. But times have changed, he said. "The bankers aren't here. A lot of the services like insurers aren't here any more," he said. "It's a lot more domestic (Indonesian) players, and they want to be perceived as energy companies, not as coal companies." Staring at prospects of tougher conditions ahead, Indonesia's large thermal coal miners are diversifying into other geographies and other industries, Sacha Winzenried, a partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, told Reuters. "They are looking into renewables, other infrastructure, supply chain support such as water, utilities, shipping and logistics," Winzenried said. Indonesia's Adaro Energy bought an Australian coal mine from Rio Tinto last year. And Indonesian state coal miner Bukit Asam is targeting commercial operation of four coal processing plants in South Sumatra that would extract gas from, as well as burn, coal. Financing dries up Delegates also noted the difficulty of getting financing for their businesses, working capital and further investments, and some were pessimistic on the coal industry's longevity. One mining engineer in his fifties, who had spent most of his career in coal at a major miner and also had an MBA, saw his career options as limited. "I've spent twenty years in coal. Where can I go next?" he said. "I would not recommend any young people join this industry." Still, renewables are not expected to make the same inroads in emerging Asian economies as in developed nations, because Asian governments are working to provide cheap baseload power from coal, and renewables can't compete on scale or price, said an industry analyst, declining to be named due to his listed company's policy. "Less coal will mean a less polluted world," he said. "But if you don't want (coal) to exist, then you have to come up with a realistic alternative."

Future tense: Fastest-growing market Asia rethinks coal's prospects

A volcano erupted on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali, causing some overnight flight cancellations to and from Australia as an ash cloud rose into the sky, officials said on Saturday.

Mount Agung volcano spewed out lava and showers of rocks over a distance of about 3 km (2 miles), with ash falling over dozens of villages, officials said. There were no reports of casualties.

Flights, run by Qantas Airways, Jetstar and Virgin Airlines, were operating normally on Saturday.

Authorities had 50,000 masks available as a precaution though the alert level on the volcano remained unchanged and there had been no evacuations.

Photographs of Agung overnight showed an ash column and glowing lava in the crater of the volcano, which rises majestically over eastern Bali at a height of just over 3,000 metres.

In late 2017, authorities raised the alert level on Agung after a spike in activity, triggering evacuations and travel chaos at the time. The alert level has since been lowered but the rumbling Agung has erupted intermittently since then occasionally disrupting flights.

A major eruption in 1963 killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages&nbsp;

Bali, famous for its surf, beaches and temples, attracts around 5 million visitors a year.

A volcano erupted on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali, causing some overnight flight cancellations to and from Australia as an ash cloud rose into the sky, officials said on Saturday.

A volcano erupted on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali, causing some overnight flight cancellations to and from Australia as an ash cloud rose into the sky, officials said on Saturday. Mount Agung volcano spewed out lava and showers of rocks over a distance of about 3 km (2 miles), with ash falling over dozens of villages, officials said. There were no reports of casualties. Flights, run by Qantas Airways, Jetstar and Virgin Airlines, were operating normally on Saturday. Authorities had 50,000 masks available as a precaution though the alert level on the volcano remained unchanged and there had been no evacuations. Photographs of Agung overnight showed an ash column and glowing lava in the crater of the volcano, which rises majestically over eastern Bali at a height of just over 3,000 metres. In late 2017, authorities raised the alert level on Agung after a spike in activity, triggering evacuations and travel chaos at the time. The alert level has since been lowered but the rumbling Agung has erupted intermittently since then occasionally disrupting flights. A major eruption in 1963 killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages Bali, famous for its surf, beaches and temples, attracts around 5 million visitors a year.

Volcano erupts on Indonesia's Bali causing flight cancellations

A British woman was handed a six-month jail term Wednesday for slapping an immigration officer in Bali after she missed her flight because of an expired tourist visa.

A court on the Indonesian holiday island found Auj-e Taqaddas, 43, guilty of assaulting the officer at Ngurah Rai international airport in July last year.

A viral video of the episode showed the woman launch into an expletive-laden rant when she was told she would have to pay a $4,000 fine for overstaying her visa by several months.&nbsp;

She then hit an officer, accusing him of making her miss a flight.

Taqaddas, who vowed to appeal the verdict, was physically taken to the courthouse on Wednesday after missing several earlier court dates, authorities said.&nbsp;

She was not detained before the sentencing.

"We have been monitoring her movements in the past week and this afternoon we forcibly took her to the court," said prosecutor Waher Tulus Jaya Tarihoran.

"She fought back, hitting and kicking our prosecutors."

A British woman was handed a six-month jail term Wednesday for slapping an immigration officer in Bali after she missed her flight because of an expired tourist visa.

A British woman was handed a six-month jail term Wednesday for slapping an immigration officer in Bali after she missed her flight because of an expired tourist visa. A court on the Indonesian holiday island found Auj-e Taqaddas, 43, guilty of assaulting the officer at Ngurah Rai international airport in July last year. A viral video of the episode showed the woman launch into an expletive-laden rant when she was told she would have to pay a $4,000 fine for overstaying her visa by several months. She then hit an officer, accusing him of making her miss a flight. Taqaddas, who vowed to appeal the verdict, was physically taken to the courthouse on Wednesday after missing several earlier court dates, authorities said. She was not detained before the sentencing. "We have been monitoring her movements in the past week and this afternoon we forcibly took her to the court," said prosecutor Waher Tulus Jaya Tarihoran. "She fought back, hitting and kicking our prosecutors."

British woman jailed for slapping Bali immigration officer

One of the world's favourite holiday destinations Bali makes a clean-up move.&nbsp;

Bali proposed a tax of up to 10 dollars on visitors to remove tourism-generated trash.

The Bali authorities are working on a bylaw which will make tourists accountable for environmental and cultural preservation.

The revenue collected from the 10 dollar tax will be used to fund programmes for preservation. The levy is still under discussion.

The authorities are deliberating on how the tax should be collected, whether it should be included in the airfare, or if it should be collected at separate airport counters.

But, the policy is expected to be imposed only on foreign tourists.

This plan comes at a time when the province is fighting against the growing volume of plastic waste on its beaches.

Bali is particularly popular among Chinese and Australian holidaymakers -- it welcomed up to six million visitors in 2018.

An environment agency recorded that the island produced 38-hundred tonnes of waste every day -- out of this, only 60 per cent ends up in the landfill.

This is not Bali's first step towards environmental conservation. Free plastic bags in supermarkets and grocery stores have been banned in Bali's capital since the beginning of this year.

Other parts of Indonesia are also struggling with the problem of excessive plastic waste. The Pisang Batu river in west java is one of the country's most polluted rivers. Hundreds of tonnes of rubbish collect there every monsoon.

One of the world's favourite holiday destinations Bali makes a clean-up move. Bali proposed a tax of up to 10 dollars on visitors to remove tourism-generated trash.

One of the world's favourite holiday destinations Bali makes a clean-up move. Bali proposed a tax of up to 10 dollars on visitors to remove tourism-generated trash. The Bali authorities are working on a bylaw which will make tourists accountable for environmental and cultural preservation. The revenue collected from the 10 dollar tax will be used to fund programmes for preservation. The levy is still under discussion. The authorities are deliberating on how the tax should be collected, whether it should be included in the airfare, or if it should be collected at separate airport counters. But, the policy is expected to be imposed only on foreign tourists. This plan comes at a time when the province is fighting against the growing volume of plastic waste on its beaches. Bali is particularly popular among Chinese and Australian holidaymakers -- it welcomed up to six million visitors in 2018. An environment agency recorded that the island produced 38-hundred tonnes of waste every day -- out of this, only 60 per cent ends up in the landfill. This is not Bali's first step towards environmental conservation. Free plastic bags in supermarkets and grocery stores have been banned in Bali's capital since the beginning of this year. Other parts of Indonesia are also struggling with the problem of excessive plastic waste. The Pisang Batu river in west java is one of the country's most polluted rivers. Hundreds of tonnes of rubbish collect there every monsoon.

Bali thinking of taxing all foreign tourists

At least three people were killed as a shallow 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Java and Bali islands Thursday, a government official said.

The victims in East Java's Sumenep district perished after being crushed by collapsed buildings, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

"The earthquake happened early Thursday when they were sleeping and the quake suddenly rocked so they didn't have time to evacuate," he said, adding that damage caused by the tremor was not widespread.

The strong quake was felt in Denpasar on the holiday island of Bali, where panicked people fled from buildings.

"Wow, that was really strong and it lasted a long time," said a woman named Davy who took refuge in the parking lot of a Bali hotel, several kilometres from where the IMF and World Bank are holding their annual meetings this week.

Some guests at the hotel in Nusa Dua, south of Bali's main international airport, briefly fled outside after the strong tremor shook the building.

"The quake was very big. I immediately woke up and took my little kids out of the house," Ni Komang Sudiani said.

"All my neighbours were also running," said the mother of two.

The tremor's epicentre was in the Bali Sea around 40 kilometres (25 miles) off the eastern end of Java island, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The quake was also felt in Surabaya, the capital of East Java province, which is about 200 kilometres from Situbondo, the nearest town to the quake epicentre.

"I felt it for about 10 seconds. People were sleeping but got woken up by it," Tonny Akbar Mahendro&nbsp;said.

No tsunami warning was issued for the earthquake.

"The quake didn't trigger any tsunami for sure," Dwikorita Karnawati, head of Indonesia's geophysics agency, said.

The tremor comes after a 7.5-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami struck off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi -- around 1,000 kilometres northeast of Situbondo -- last month, killing more than 2,000 people.

A string of earthquakes in Lombok in eastern Indonesia killed more than 550 people over the summer.

Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide and many of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. 
&nbsp;

At least three people were killed as a shallow 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Java and Bali islands Thursday, a government official said.

At least three people were killed as a shallow 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Java and Bali islands Thursday, a government official said. The victims in East Java's Sumenep district perished after being crushed by collapsed buildings, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. "The earthquake happened early Thursday when they were sleeping and the quake suddenly rocked so they didn't have time to evacuate," he said, adding that damage caused by the tremor was not widespread. The strong quake was felt in Denpasar on the holiday island of Bali, where panicked people fled from buildings. "Wow, that was really strong and it lasted a long time," said a woman named Davy who took refuge in the parking lot of a Bali hotel, several kilometres from where the IMF and World Bank are holding their annual meetings this week. Some guests at the hotel in Nusa Dua, south of Bali's main international airport, briefly fled outside after the strong tremor shook the building. "The quake was very big. I immediately woke up and took my little kids out of the house," Ni Komang Sudiani said. "All my neighbours were also running," said the mother of two. The tremor's epicentre was in the Bali Sea around 40 kilometres (25 miles) off the eastern end of Java island, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake was also felt in Surabaya, the capital of East Java province, which is about 200 kilometres from Situbondo, the nearest town to the quake epicentre. "I felt it for about 10 seconds. People were sleeping but got woken up by it," Tonny Akbar Mahendro said. No tsunami warning was issued for the earthquake. "The quake didn't trigger any tsunami for sure," Dwikorita Karnawati, head of Indonesia's geophysics agency, said. The tremor comes after a 7.5-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami struck off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi -- around 1,000 kilometres northeast of Situbondo -- last month, killing more than 2,000 people. A string of earthquakes in Lombok in eastern Indonesia killed more than 550 people over the summer. Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide and many of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

Three killed as strong quake rocks Indonesia's Java, Bali

A rumbling<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-orders-immediate-evacuation-as-highest-alert-issued-for-bali-volcano-25273"> volcano on Indonesia&#39;s tourist island of Bali</a> ejected greyish-white plumes of ash on Friday, a timelapse sequence of Reuters images showed, a reminder, if it were needed, that its weeks-long period of activity has not ended.

Ash spewed as high as 2.1 km (1.3 miles) above the crater during one emission at 7:59 a.m. (2359 GMT, Dec. 7), within a radius of about 5 km (3 miles) around the mountain, the Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency said.

&quot;Sometimes it is hard for the lava and magma to come out, and when there is pressure, it will spew ash,&quot; agency head Gede Suantika told Reuters.

Until the volcano started to enter the ash emission stage on Friday, its emissions since Nov. 25 had been mostly composed of steam, though there was some ash mixed in, he said.

The 3,000-metre (9,800-foot) Mount Agung volcano, which is capable of very violent eruptions, has shown a marked increase in activity in the last few weeks, stoking fears of a repeat of an eruption in 1963 that killed more than 1,000 people.

While hot magma has produced an eerie orange glow just above the crater, and thousands of villagers have fled homes on the mountain&#39;s slopes, Agung&#39;s ejections of material have been small this time.

Authorities raised the alert status to the maximum after it started erupting last month, causing travel chaos by closing the island&#39;s airport for three days last week.

Operations were normal on Friday at the international airports in Bali and on nearby Lombok island.

Ash spewed as high as 2.1 km (1.3 miles) above the crater during one emission at 7:59 a.m. (2359 GMT, Dec. 7), within a radius of about 5 km (3 miles) around the mountain, the Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency said

A rumbling volcano on Indonesia's tourist island of Bali ejected greyish-white plumes of ash on Friday, a timelapse sequence of Reuters images showed, a reminder, if it were needed, that its weeks-long period of activity has not ended. Ash spewed as high as 2.1 km (1.3 miles) above the crater during one emission at 7:59 a.m. (2359 GMT, Dec. 7), within a radius of about 5 km (3 miles) around the mountain, the Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency said. "Sometimes it is hard for the lava and magma to come out, and when there is pressure, it will spew ash," agency head Gede Suantika told Reuters. Until the volcano started to enter the ash emission stage on Friday, its emissions since Nov. 25 had been mostly composed of steam, though there was some ash mixed in, he said. The 3,000-metre (9,800-foot) Mount Agung volcano, which is capable of very violent eruptions, has shown a marked increase in activity in the last few weeks, stoking fears of a repeat of an eruption in 1963 that killed more than 1,000 people. While hot magma has produced an eerie orange glow just above the crater, and thousands of villagers have fled homes on the mountain's slopes, Agung's ejections of material have been small this time. Authorities raised the alert status to the maximum after it started erupting last month, causing travel chaos by closing the island's airport for three days last week. Operations were normal on Friday at the international airports in Bali and on nearby Lombok island.

Ash billows from Bali volcano in fresh volley of activity

China`s aviation authority has suspended all flights from the Indonesian holiday island of Bali to Chinese cities until the threat of volcanic ash clears, the state-run People`s Daily newspaper reported on Monday.&nbsp;

Clouds of volcanic ash from Bali`s erupting Mount Agung volcano disrupted flights to and from the island`s airport last week, stranding many thousands of tourists. 
Flights began resuming when the airport reopened on Wednesday after the wind changed and blew the ash away from flight paths. Individual airlines make their own decisions on whether to operate.

Australia`s Jetstar resumed flights on Monday, while Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd said it planned to do so on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Despite the resumption of some services, China`s aviation authority was stopping any more flights after the return on Monday of the last charter flight, bringing to 15,237 the number of stranded Chinese tourists brought home, the People`s Daily newspaper said on its Twitter page.

&quot;China`s aviation authority has suspended all flights from Bali to Chinese cities until volcanic ash threat clears,&quot; it said.

China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, which stopped flying new tourists into Bali last week, told Reuters that any resumption of flights would depend on the situation.

They declined to comment on the reported directive from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The CAAC did not respond to Reuters` request for comment.

China Southern, which flies to Bali from the cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou, said in an email that &quot;due to volcanic activity in the area, the local airport and associated routes are not airworthy so flights on these two routes have been cancelled in the near term&quot;.

China has overtaken Australia this year as the biggest source of international visitors to Bali, representing about a quarter of the 4.9 million arrivals from January to September, according to industry statistics.

Airlines avoid flying through volcanic ash as it can damage aircraft engines, clogging fuel and cooling systems, hampering pilot visibility and even causing engine failure.

Purwo Nugroh, a spokesman for Indonesia`s disaster mitigation agency, said on Twitter that Mount Agung was no longer spewing ash but just white smoke that reached a height of 1,000 metres early on Monday. 
&nbsp;

'China`s aviation authority has suspended all flights from Bali to Chinese cities until volcanic ash threat clears,' the People`s Daily newspaper said on its Twitter page

China`s aviation authority has suspended all flights from the Indonesian holiday island of Bali to Chinese cities until the threat of volcanic ash clears, the state-run People`s Daily newspaper reported on Monday. Clouds of volcanic ash from Bali`s erupting Mount Agung volcano disrupted flights to and from the island`s airport last week, stranding many thousands of tourists. Flights began resuming when the airport reopened on Wednesday after the wind changed and blew the ash away from flight paths. Individual airlines make their own decisions on whether to operate. Australia`s Jetstar resumed flights on Monday, while Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd said it planned to do so on Tuesday. Despite the resumption of some services, China`s aviation authority was stopping any more flights after the return on Monday of the last charter flight, bringing to 15,237 the number of stranded Chinese tourists brought home, the People`s Daily newspaper said on its Twitter page. "China`s aviation authority has suspended all flights from Bali to Chinese cities until volcanic ash threat clears," it said. China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, which stopped flying new tourists into Bali last week, told Reuters that any resumption of flights would depend on the situation. They declined to comment on the reported directive from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The CAAC did not respond to Reuters` request for comment. China Southern, which flies to Bali from the cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou, said in an email that "due to volcanic activity in the area, the local airport and associated routes are not airworthy so flights on these two routes have been cancelled in the near term". China has overtaken Australia this year as the biggest source of international visitors to Bali, representing about a quarter of the 4.9 million arrivals from January to September, according to industry statistics. Airlines avoid flying through volcanic ash as it can damage aircraft engines, clogging fuel and cooling systems, hampering pilot visibility and even causing engine failure. Purwo Nugroh, a spokesman for Indonesia`s disaster mitigation agency, said on Twitter that Mount Agung was no longer spewing ash but just white smoke that reached a height of 1,000 metres early on Monday.

China suspends flights from Bali due to volcanic ash: Report

Consulate General of India, Bali issued a travel advisory for Indians following continuing tremors and high volcanic activity detected inside the volcano on Mount Agung.

The statement mentions that the Indonesian authorities have kept the Mount Agung on the highest level, as volcanic activities continue at a high pace inside the volcano.&nbsp;

It has also been informed that the nature and extent of hazard zone may change at any given time and that Indian nationals in Bali are directed to be alert and updated with the developments through their hotels, airlines and tour operators as well as avoid the hazard zone at all cost.&nbsp;

The officials also suggested that people having plans to travel to Bali must postpone them and if they need to travel at any cost, must consider taking travel insurance for an unforeseen situation such as flight cancellations or diversions.&nbsp;

Also&nbsp;read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/flights-resume-as-balis-volcano-hit-airport-reopens-25486">Flights resume as Bali&#39;s volcano-hit airport reopens</a>

Finally, the statement mentions that the travellers must carry sufficient funds to meet any exigencies that may come up.&nbsp;

Also watch: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/timelapses-show-smoke-billowing-from-bali-volcano-6980">Timelapses show smoke billowing from Bali volcano</a>

Experts said Agung&#39;s recent activity matches the build-up to the earlier disaster, which ejected enough debris - about a billion tonnes - to lower global average temperatures by around 0.3 degrees Celsius for roughly a year.

While the volcano appeared to be belching less ash and smoke on Thursday, experts urged caution and have warned a major eruption could happen at any moment. It has already experienced a series of mini eruptions.

The statement mentions that the Indonesian authorities have kept the Mount Agung on the highest level, as volcanic activities continue at a high pace inside the volcano

Consulate General of India, Bali issued a travel advisory for Indians following continuing tremors and high volcanic activity detected inside the volcano on Mount Agung. The statement mentions that the Indonesian authorities have kept the Mount Agung on the highest level, as volcanic activities continue at a high pace inside the volcano. It has also been informed that the nature and extent of hazard zone may change at any given time and that Indian nationals in Bali are directed to be alert and updated with the developments through their hotels, airlines and tour operators as well as avoid the hazard zone at all cost. The officials also suggested that people having plans to travel to Bali must postpone them and if they need to travel at any cost, must consider taking travel insurance for an unforeseen situation such as flight cancellations or diversions. Also read: Flights resume as Bali's volcano-hit airport reopens Finally, the statement mentions that the travellers must carry sufficient funds to meet any exigencies that may come up. Also watch: Timelapses show smoke billowing from Bali volcano Experts said Agung's recent activity matches the build-up to the earlier disaster, which ejected enough debris - about a billion tonnes - to lower global average temperatures by around 0.3 degrees Celsius for roughly a year. While the volcano appeared to be belching less ash and smoke on Thursday, experts urged caution and have warned a major eruption could happen at any moment. It has already experienced a series of mini eruptions.

Travel advisory issued for Indians following Bali volcanic activity

A window appeared to be closing on Friday for travellers stranded on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali as airlines cut back on flights, fearing a return of plumes of volcanic ash. An erupting volcano closed the airport for most of this week, stranding thousands of visitors from Australia, China and other countries, before the winds changed and flights resumed.

Australian budget airline Jetstar said it would cancel nine flights on Friday after meteorological officials warned the ash could hit operations at Bali airport, about 60 km (37 miles) southwest of the Mount Agung volcano. Malaysia&#39;s AirAsia Bhd said it would only operate out of Bali during the day, as the ash could impair visibility at night and wind conditions in the area were unpredictable.&nbsp;

&quot;They don`t have an answer if they have space for us for the next flight,&quot; said Martim Cazado, a traveller who was trying to get home to Portugal via Singapore but had been unable to get a flight.

He was worried he might be stuck waiting in front of the Bali airport`s departure hall for a few days, he added. &nbsp;

A column of white smoke and ash hung above Mount Agung, where tremors continued, meteorological officials said, although with decreasing frequency, while lava sparks flash at night.

Ash was visible to the southeast of Mount Agung, the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre said on its website. &nbsp;

&quot;Volcanological sources indicate a larger eruption is still possible,&quot; it said.

Days of Ashfall

The wind was blowing the ash towards the east and the airport was clear for normal operations, Indonesia`s transport ministry said in a statement. Jetstar and its parent, Qantas Airways Ltd, had planned up to 18 flights on Friday to ferry 4,300 passengers home to Australia, including one by a Qantas 747 jet. But Jetstar will cancel nine flights after &quot;a sudden change in today`s forecast for this evening in Bali,&quot; it said in a website update.

Other airlines with regular Bali flights, including Singapore Airlines Ltd and Garuda Indonesia, have not posted website updates on Friday evening`s flight plans. Airlines avoid flying through volcanic ash as it can damage aircraft engines, clogging fuel and cooling systems, hampering pilot visibility and even causing engine failure.

A tropical cyclone south of Java island altered wind direction in the area, including for Bali, where it could bring heavy rains and strong winds until Saturday, the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysics agency said.

About 10,700 foreign and 6,400 domestic tourists left Bali on Thursday, airport data showed.

Thousands of residents remain in a 10-km (6-mile) danger zone around the volcano, reluctant to leave for religious reasons or unwilling to abandon homes and livestock.&nbsp;

A rescue team escorted 10 people off its southwestern slope on Friday, some of whom said they had endured days of falling ash and feared potentially deadly volcanic mudflows.&nbsp;An estimated 90,000 to 100,000 people live in the danger area near the volcano in eastern Bali.

An erupting volcano closed the airport for most of this week

A window appeared to be closing on Friday for travellers stranded on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali as airlines cut back on flights, fearing a return of plumes of volcanic ash. An erupting volcano closed the airport for most of this week, stranding thousands of visitors from Australia, China and other countries, before the winds changed and flights resumed. Australian budget airline Jetstar said it would cancel nine flights on Friday after meteorological officials warned the ash could hit operations at Bali airport, about 60 km (37 miles) southwest of the Mount Agung volcano. Malaysia's AirAsia Bhd said it would only operate out of Bali during the day, as the ash could impair visibility at night and wind conditions in the area were unpredictable. "They don`t have an answer if they have space for us for the next flight," said Martim Cazado, a traveller who was trying to get home to Portugal via Singapore but had been unable to get a flight. He was worried he might be stuck waiting in front of the Bali airport`s departure hall for a few days, he added. A column of white smoke and ash hung above Mount Agung, where tremors continued, meteorological officials said, although with decreasing frequency, while lava sparks flash at night. Ash was visible to the southeast of Mount Agung, the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre said on its website. "Volcanological sources indicate a larger eruption is still possible," it said. Days of Ashfall The wind was blowing the ash towards the east and the airport was clear for normal operations, Indonesia`s transport ministry said in a statement. Jetstar and its parent, Qantas Airways Ltd, had planned up to 18 flights on Friday to ferry 4,300 passengers home to Australia, including one by a Qantas 747 jet. But Jetstar will cancel nine flights after "a sudden change in today`s forecast for this evening in Bali," it said in a website update. Other airlines with regular Bali flights, including Singapore Airlines Ltd and Garuda Indonesia, have not posted website updates on Friday evening`s flight plans. Airlines avoid flying through volcanic ash as it can damage aircraft engines, clogging fuel and cooling systems, hampering pilot visibility and even causing engine failure. A tropical cyclone south of Java island altered wind direction in the area, including for Bali, where it could bring heavy rains and strong winds until Saturday, the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysics agency said. About 10,700 foreign and 6,400 domestic tourists left Bali on Thursday, airport data showed. Thousands of residents remain in a 10-km (6-mile) danger zone around the volcano, reluctant to leave for religious reasons or unwilling to abandon homes and livestock. A rescue team escorted 10 people off its southwestern slope on Friday, some of whom said they had endured days of falling ash and feared potentially deadly volcanic mudflows. An estimated 90,000 to 100,000 people live in the danger area near the volcano in eastern Bali.

Airlines limit Bali flights to guard against volcanic ash

According to international media coverage, the main problem with Gunung Agung&rsquo;s eruption is that the airport is closed and tourists cannot get in or out.

The people of East Bali are largely invisible in these reports, but they too are worried about getting home. While they are well aware of the physical danger, for them, the mountain also represents spiritual elevation and power. It embodies a god and its rumbles are a sign of the god&rsquo;s displeasure.

While Balinese are nominally Hindu, their most immediate spiritual relationships are with their ancestors and a host of other invisible beings related to the landscape and forces of nature.

Moving out of harm&rsquo;s way

A month ago, people close to Mt Agung were told to evacuate, but they gradually drifted back to their homes and livelihoods. Now, they can see the glow of lava reflected in the night sky and local rivers running grey with cold lahar &ndash; all signs reminiscent of the last eruption in 1963.

The alert has been raised back to the highest level of 4 and a 10km evacuation zone has been re-established around the crater, affecting about 150,000 people.

Nobody wants to evacuate. It means abandoning homes, crops, animals and livelihoods, for an unknown time and an uncertain future. But people are doing it not just because the government is telling them to, but also because of what happened last time.

The volcano and the god it embodies feature in most stories about the origins of Balinese culture, religion and political order. While not many people remember Mt Agung&rsquo;s last eruption, there are stories and physical traces in the form of deep lava fields and the fertility of soils that have maintained some of the most productive rice fields in the world for at least a millennium.

The wrath of the great mountain

Gunung Agung means &ldquo;great mountain&rdquo;. It is the tallest of a cluster of volcanoes across the island, part of a much longer chain that extends through Java to the west and Lombok to the east. Thousands of people live on its slopes, tens of thousands around the foot of it and hundreds of thousands within the zone of previous lava flows and ash falls.

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Lahar from Mount Agung flowing down the Yeh Sah River. (Others)
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Mount Agung is what geologists call a stratovolcano. They do not erupt often but when they do it is usually in violent explosions. They often create lethal combinations: Rains of heated rock and ash, poisonous gases&nbsp;and massive, fast-moving flows of lava supercharged with gases and other materials (known as pyroclastic flows).

These kill, destroy and bury. Vesuvius in Italy (79 AD and 1631), Tambora (1815) and Krakatoa (1883) in Indonesia and Mt Tarawera in New Zealand (1886) are famous examples. Pinatubo in the Philippines (1991) was the biggest of the 20th century but Agung&rsquo;s 1963 explosion was not far behind. It killed many more people.

The official Agung death toll in 1963 was around 1500, but the reality was more like 2000. Most were killed by pyroclastic flows, which buried whole valleys and villages. Some people fled but others saw the eruption as the work of the gods and stayed and prayed as the lava advanced. Some survived, most did not.

Anna Mathew&rsquo;s little-known book The Night of Purnama, observed and written from a village high on the slopes, tells of a build-up eerily similar to what is happening now, culminating in a series of massive eruptions with a catastrophic aftermath. The falling ash destroyed crops across the eastern half of the island. Widespread hunger and dislocation followed. People ate the trunks of banana trees to survive and young men took to the roads in search of work and food.

Mt Agung&rsquo;s last eruption

Indonesia in 1963 was not a happy place. After 16 years of independence, it had serious economic problems, fragile food security and growing political instability. Sukarno, the first president, retained a fragile grip on power, but was threatened by the growing strength of a huge communist party, asserting the rights of landless farmers and sharecroppers.

The previous year a plague of rats had decimated the rice crop, proving that the gods were offended and more disasters would follow. Religious leaders and scholars debated whether the time had come for the Eka Dasa Rudra, the greatest island-wide ritual of purification and re-establishment of order. It is normally held at the turn of a (Balinese) century but may also be held in times of crisis to avert greater disasters.

Meanwhile, Sukarno was casting around for sources of foreign exchange, and eyeing the lucrative growth of tourism in countries such as Thailand. He decided to promote tourism, with the dazzling religious and artistic culture of Bali as its centrepiece. He invited the Pacific Asia Travel Association to hold their convention in Bali and timed it to coincide with the Eka Dasa Rudra.

The ceremony is held at Besakih, a major temple of island-wide significance perched high on the southern slope of Gunung Agung. During the preparations, the mountain began doing what it is doing now. The previous eruption had been 120 years earlier, so there were no living memories to go by. Balinese leaders interpreted this as a warning from the gods that something was wrong. They called for a postponement but were overruled.

The ceremony began amid smoke and falling ash. As it proceeded, the real eruption began, blasting molten rock high into the air and pouring lava down its sides. Besakih survived, but the ceremonial gateway built to honour Sukarno was the first casualty of the gods&rsquo; displeasure. The catastrophic outcome and aftermath were seen as clear evidence of Sukarno&rsquo;s loss of favour with the gods. He was deposed two years later.

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Mount Agung spewing hot volcanic ash as high as three kilometers into the atmosphere. (Others)
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Ritual response

Since 1963, population and density in Indonesia have more than doubled. More people live on the slopes of the mountain and higher up. On the other hand, most people are less dependent on local subsistence crops and infrastructure for delivery of food relief. Escape has also improved enormously. Likewise, the evacuations should reduce the immediate impact on life and health.

If this eruption continues to follow the pattern of 1963, the consequences for tourism, agriculture and livelihoods, in general, are likely to be greater than those of the terrorist bombs in 2002 and 2005. Most Balinese will agree that it is the doing of the gods, but there will be different interpretations of their reasons, ranging from violations of the sacred mountain by tourists and sand mining to broader reflections on the direction of development and its social and environmental consequences.

But the solution will be the same as after the bombs - ritual, bigger and better than ever, which will address the supernatural causes and attract the tourists back at the same time.

If the big eruption doesn&rsquo;t happen, the ash clouds will drift away, the planes will fly again, everyone will return to business as usual. It will all be forgotten, along with the evacuees, until next time.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/tourists-are-stuck-at-the-airport-but-erupting-mt-agung-has-a-deeper-significance-for-the-balinese-88297" rel="nofollow">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Image Credit: AAP, EPA

&nbsp;

To the people of Bali, Mt Agung is not just a volcano. The "great mountain" holds spiritual power and reflects cultural and political unrest

According to international media coverage, the main problem with Gunung Agung’s eruption is that the airport is closed and tourists cannot get in or out. The people of East Bali are largely invisible in these reports, but they too are worried about getting home. While they are well aware of the physical danger, for them, the mountain also represents spiritual elevation and power. It embodies a god and its rumbles are a sign of the god’s displeasure. While Balinese are nominally Hindu, their most immediate spiritual relationships are with their ancestors and a host of other invisible beings related to the landscape and forces of nature. Moving out of harm’s way A month ago, people close to Mt Agung were told to evacuate, but they gradually drifted back to their homes and livelihoods. Now, they can see the glow of lava reflected in the night sky and local rivers running grey with cold lahar – all signs reminiscent of the last eruption in 1963. The alert has been raised back to the highest level of 4 and a 10km evacuation zone has been re-established around the crater, affecting about 150,000 people. Nobody wants to evacuate. It means abandoning homes, crops, animals and livelihoods, for an unknown time and an uncertain future. But people are doing it not just because the government is telling them to, but also because of what happened last time. The volcano and the god it embodies feature in most stories about the origins of Balinese culture, religion and political order. While not many people remember Mt Agung’s last eruption, there are stories and physical traces in the form of deep lava fields and the fertility of soils that have maintained some of the most productive rice fields in the world for at least a millennium. The wrath of the great mountain Gunung Agung means “great mountain”. It is the tallest of a cluster of volcanoes across the island, part of a much longer chain that extends through Java to the west and Lombok to the east. Thousands of people live on its slopes, tens of thousands around the foot of it and hundreds of thousands within the zone of previous lava flows and ash falls. Lahar from Mount Agung flowing down the Yeh Sah River. (Others) × Mount Agung is what geologists call a stratovolcano. They do not erupt often but when they do it is usually in violent explosions. They often create lethal combinations: Rains of heated rock and ash, poisonous gases and massive, fast-moving flows of lava supercharged with gases and other materials (known as pyroclastic flows). These kill, destroy and bury. Vesuvius in Italy (79 AD and 1631), Tambora (1815) and Krakatoa (1883) in Indonesia and Mt Tarawera in New Zealand (1886) are famous examples. Pinatubo in the Philippines (1991) was the biggest of the 20th century but Agung’s 1963 explosion was not far behind. It killed many more people. The official Agung death toll in 1963 was around 1500, but the reality was more like 2000. Most were killed by pyroclastic flows, which buried whole valleys and villages. Some people fled but others saw the eruption as the work of the gods and stayed and prayed as the lava advanced. Some survived, most did not. Anna Mathew’s little-known book The Night of Purnama, observed and written from a village high on the slopes, tells of a build-up eerily similar to what is happening now, culminating in a series of massive eruptions with a catastrophic aftermath. The falling ash destroyed crops across the eastern half of the island. Widespread hunger and dislocation followed. People ate the trunks of banana trees to survive and young men took to the roads in search of work and food. Mt Agung’s last eruption Indonesia in 1963 was not a happy place. After 16 years of independence, it had serious economic problems, fragile food security and growing political instability. Sukarno, the first president, retained a fragile grip on power, but was threatened by the growing strength of a huge communist party, asserting the rights of landless farmers and sharecroppers. The previous year a plague of rats had decimated the rice crop, proving that the gods were offended and more disasters would follow. Religious leaders and scholars debated whether the time had come for the Eka Dasa Rudra, the greatest island-wide ritual of purification and re-establishment of order. It is normally held at the turn of a (Balinese) century but may also be held in times of crisis to avert greater disasters. Meanwhile, Sukarno was casting around for sources of foreign exchange, and eyeing the lucrative growth of tourism in countries such as Thailand. He decided to promote tourism, with the dazzling religious and artistic culture of Bali as its centrepiece. He invited the Pacific Asia Travel Association to hold their convention in Bali and timed it to coincide with the Eka Dasa Rudra. The ceremony is held at Besakih, a major temple of island-wide significance perched high on the southern slope of Gunung Agung. During the preparations, the mountain began doing what it is doing now. The previous eruption had been 120 years earlier, so there were no living memories to go by. Balinese leaders interpreted this as a warning from the gods that something was wrong. They called for a postponement but were overruled. The ceremony began amid smoke and falling ash. As it proceeded, the real eruption began, blasting molten rock high into the air and pouring lava down its sides. Besakih survived, but the ceremonial gateway built to honour Sukarno was the first casualty of the gods’ displeasure. The catastrophic outcome and aftermath were seen as clear evidence of Sukarno’s loss of favour with the gods. He was deposed two years later. Mount Agung spewing hot volcanic ash as high as three kilometers into the atmosphere. (Others) × Ritual response Since 1963, population and density in Indonesia have more than doubled. More people live on the slopes of the mountain and higher up. On the other hand, most people are less dependent on local subsistence crops and infrastructure for delivery of food relief. Escape has also improved enormously. Likewise, the evacuations should reduce the immediate impact on life and health. If this eruption continues to follow the pattern of 1963, the consequences for tourism, agriculture and livelihoods, in general, are likely to be greater than those of the terrorist bombs in 2002 and 2005. Most Balinese will agree that it is the doing of the gods, but there will be different interpretations of their reasons, ranging from violations of the sacred mountain by tourists and sand mining to broader reflections on the direction of development and its social and environmental consequences. But the solution will be the same as after the bombs - ritual, bigger and better than ever, which will address the supernatural causes and attract the tourists back at the same time. If the big eruption doesn’t happen, the ash clouds will drift away, the planes will fly again, everyone will return to business as usual. It will all be forgotten, along with the evacuees, until next time. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity). Image Credit: AAP, EPA

Opinion: Fallout of Mt Agung's eruption is worse than bombs

Thousands of foreign tourists were expected to leave Bali by plane Thursday following a nearly three-day airport shutdown sparked by a rumbling volcano on the Indonesian holiday island.

The alert level on Mount Agung remains at the maximum, but a change in wind direction blew towering columns of ash and smoke away from the airport, prompting authorities to re-open the island&#39;s main international gateway on Wednesday afternoon.

The move raised hopes for some of the 120,000 tourists stranded after the surge in volcanic activity grounded hundreds of flights since Monday, sparking travel chaos and forcing the evacuation of villagers living in its shadow.

Ash is dangerous for planes as it makes runways slippery and can be sucked into their engines.

&quot;Since the airport reopened yesterday, some flights have resumed operation and things are gradually getting back to normal,&quot; said airport spokesman Israwadi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

More than 4,500 people have now flown out of the airport, authorities said.

On Wednesday evening, domestic carrier Garuda said it would start flights to several cities across the vast archipelago nation, while AirAsia flew to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

However, the airport on nearby Lombok island -- also a popular tourist destination -- closed again Thursday after ash and smoke drifted in its direction.

Millions of tourists visit the palm-fringed island hotspot annually. The majority are Chinese, followed by Australians, Indians, Britons and Japanese, according to the immigration office, which added that nearly 25,000 foreigners live on the small Hindu-dominated island.

Tens of thousands of Balinese have already fled their homes around the volcano -- which last erupted in 1963, killing around 1,600 people -- but as many as 100,000 will likely be forced to leave in case of a full eruption, disaster agency officials have said.

High alert 
Experts said Agung&#39;s recent activity matches the build-up to the earlier disaster, which ejected enough debris -- about a billion tonnes -- to lower global average temperatures by around 0.3 degrees Celsius for roughly a year.

While the volcano appeared to be belching less ash and smoke on Thursday, experts urged caution and have warned a major eruption could happen at any moment. It has already experienced a series of mini eruptions.

&quot;The potential for an eruption is still there, but we cannot predict how big the eruption is going to be,&quot; said Devy Kamil, a senior volcanologist from the Indonesian volcanology agency.

&quot;The volcano is still on the highest alert level.&quot;

Agung rumbled back to life in September, forcing the evacuation of 140,000 people living nearby. Its activity decreased in late October and many returned to their homes.&nbsp;

However, on Saturday the mountain sent smoke into the air for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption -- caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater.&nbsp;

So-called cold lava flows have also appeared -- similar to mud flows and often a prelude to the blazing orange lava of popular imagination.&nbsp;

Indonesia, the world&#39;s most active volcanic region, lies on the Pacific &quot;Ring of Fire&quot; where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activities.&nbsp;

Last year seven people were killed after Mount Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra erupted. A 2014 eruption at Sinabung killed 16.

Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport was shut for three days

Thousands of foreign tourists were expected to leave Bali by plane Thursday following a nearly three-day airport shutdown sparked by a rumbling volcano on the Indonesian holiday island. The alert level on Mount Agung remains at the maximum, but a change in wind direction blew towering columns of ash and smoke away from the airport, prompting authorities to re-open the island's main international gateway on Wednesday afternoon. The move raised hopes for some of the 120,000 tourists stranded after the surge in volcanic activity grounded hundreds of flights since Monday, sparking travel chaos and forcing the evacuation of villagers living in its shadow. Ash is dangerous for planes as it makes runways slippery and can be sucked into their engines. "Since the airport reopened yesterday, some flights have resumed operation and things are gradually getting back to normal," said airport spokesman Israwadi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. More than 4,500 people have now flown out of the airport, authorities said. On Wednesday evening, domestic carrier Garuda said it would start flights to several cities across the vast archipelago nation, while AirAsia flew to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. However, the airport on nearby Lombok island -- also a popular tourist destination -- closed again Thursday after ash and smoke drifted in its direction. Millions of tourists visit the palm-fringed island hotspot annually. The majority are Chinese, followed by Australians, Indians, Britons and Japanese, according to the immigration office, which added that nearly 25,000 foreigners live on the small Hindu-dominated island. Tens of thousands of Balinese have already fled their homes around the volcano -- which last erupted in 1963, killing around 1,600 people -- but as many as 100,000 will likely be forced to leave in case of a full eruption, disaster agency officials have said. High alert Experts said Agung's recent activity matches the build-up to the earlier disaster, which ejected enough debris -- about a billion tonnes -- to lower global average temperatures by around 0.3 degrees Celsius for roughly a year. While the volcano appeared to be belching less ash and smoke on Thursday, experts urged caution and have warned a major eruption could happen at any moment. It has already experienced a series of mini eruptions. "The potential for an eruption is still there, but we cannot predict how big the eruption is going to be," said Devy Kamil, a senior volcanologist from the Indonesian volcanology agency. "The volcano is still on the highest alert level." Agung rumbled back to life in September, forcing the evacuation of 140,000 people living nearby. Its activity decreased in late October and many returned to their homes. However, on Saturday the mountain sent smoke into the air for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption -- caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater. So-called cold lava flows have also appeared -- similar to mud flows and often a prelude to the blazing orange lava of popular imagination. Indonesia, the world's most active volcanic region, lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activities. Last year seven people were killed after Mount Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra erupted. A 2014 eruption at Sinabung killed 16.

Flights resume as Bali's volcano-hit airport reopens

A tropical cyclone killed 19 people on the&nbsp;Indonesian island of Java, officials said on Wednesday, with most of the victims caught under a landslide.

Video footage showed rivers overflowing and roads and villages submerged in brown water after the storm struck on Tuesday.

&quot;Nineteen people have died, thousands of homes have been flooded and other damage has been caused,&quot; Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the Disaster Mitigation Agency, said on Twitter.

Two nearby airports were briefly closed but had since reopened. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-officials-extend-bali-airport-closure-over-volcanic-ash-25387">Flights around&nbsp;Indonesia&nbsp;have been disrupted </a>due to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-orders-immediate-evacuation-as-highest-alert-issued-for-bali-volcano-25273">the eruption of a volcano on the neighbouring holiday island of Bali to the east</a>.

'Nineteen people have died, thousands of homes have been flooded and other damage has been caused,' Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the Disaster Mitigation Agency, said on Twitter

A tropical cyclone killed 19 people on the Indonesian island of Java, officials said on Wednesday, with most of the victims caught under a landslide. Video footage showed rivers overflowing and roads and villages submerged in brown water after the storm struck on Tuesday. "Nineteen people have died, thousands of homes have been flooded and other damage has been caused," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the Disaster Mitigation Agency, said on Twitter. Two nearby airports were briefly closed but had since reopened. Flights around Indonesia have been disrupted due to the eruption of a volcano on the neighbouring holiday island of Bali to the east.

Cyclone kills 19 in Indonesia's Java

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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-authorities-extend-bali-airport-closure-over-volcanic-ash-25298">Bali airport closed for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-authorities-extend-bali-airport-closure-over-volcanic-ash-25298">second</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-authorities-extend-bali-airport-closure-over-volcanic-ash-25298"> day over fears of volcano eruption</a>

Indonesian authorities on Tuesday extended the closure of the international airport on the resort island of Bali for a second day over fears of a volcanic eruption. Bali&#39;s Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Wednesday morning local time.&nbsp;

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Hafiz Saeed files petition in UN to drop terrorist tag Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has filed a petition in the United Nations to remove him from the list of designated terrorist, news reports said Tuesday. Saeed was put on the UN terror list on December 10, 2008, a few days after the November 26 attacks on Mumbai which claimed 166 lives. Ivanka arrives in India, will inaugurate Global Entrepreneurship Summit with PM Modi today The United States President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad early Tuesday morning. Ivanka will be inaugurating and addressing the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad today. Trump cracks Pocahontas 'joke' while hosting Native Americans Trump called a Democratic rival "Pocahantas" while hosting Native Americans veterans at the White House Monday. The Native Americans had been "wind talkers" -- Navajo Indians who helped keep Allied operations secret during World War II. Bali airport closed for second day over fears of volcano eruption Indonesian authorities on Tuesday extended the closure of the international airport on the resort island of Bali for a second day over fears of a volcanic eruption. Bali's Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Wednesday morning local time. GST collections fall over 9% in October Data put out by the government said GST collections fell to Rs 83,346 crore in October from over Rs 90,000 crore in each of the first three months since the tax was rolled out on July 1.

WION morning news brief, November 28, 2017

An eruption could be imminent at a volcano belching huge plumes of smoke on Indonesia&#39;s resort island of Bali, officials warned Monday, as they raised the alert to the highest level and increased the exclusion zone.

Huge plumes of smoke have been pouring out of Mount Agung since Tuesday and senior state volcanologist Gede Suantika said it was belching thick grey smoke more than two miles (three kilometers) into the sky early Monday.

&quot;The volcano&#39;s alert level has been raised to the highest level,&quot; said Suantika. &quot;Constant tremors can be felt.&quot;

The exclusion zone around the volcano, which is 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been widened to 10 kilometers, with people living in the exclusion zone being urged to evacuate.

About 25,000 people living nearby the mountain have already left their homes and evacuated since Mount Agung first started to spew smoke Tuesday.

&quot;Continuous ash puffs are sometimes accompanied by explosive eruptions accompanied by a weak sound of boom,&quot; the National Board for Disaster Management said in a statement.

&quot;The rays of fire are increasingly observed at night. This indicates the potential for a larger eruption is imminent.&quot;

&#39;Keep calm&#39; 
National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho called for people to stay calm.

&quot;As we have widened the exclusion zone, so the number of people evacuating will increase but we don&#39;t have the latest data yet,&quot; he told AFP.

&quot;Most important is always to follow our instructions and keep calm,&quot; he added.

Ash from Mount Agung has been covering villages nearby the volcano. Officials have distributed thousands of face masks to local residents.

The airport in Bali&#39;s capital Denpasar, a top holiday destination that attracts millions of foreign tourists every year, has been closed.

&quot;Bali&#39;s airport has indeed been closed. We&#39;re still coordinating the next steps,&quot; airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim told AFP.

The closure is set to affect tens of thousands of passengers, he added.

The airport on Lombok island -- also a popular tourist destination east of Bali -- has been closed since Sunday afternoon as the ash from Mount Agung headed into that direction, but it reopened early Monday.

The Australian government put out a travel advisory Sunday instructing travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia and follow the instructions of authorities.

Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing about 1,600 people.

It rumbled back to life in September and authorities raised the alert to the highest level, forcing 140,000 people living nearby to evacuate.

The volcano&#39;s activity decreased in late October and many people returned to their home as the alert was lowered to the second-highest level.

But Mount Agung started rumbling again last Tuesday.

The mountain sent smoke up into the air on Saturday for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption -- one which is caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater.

Dozens of Balinese Hindus took part in ceremonies near the volcano on Sunday, offering prayers in the hope of preventing an eruption.

Officials later on Sunday said the activity could be a magmatic eruption -- one which involves the decompression of gas and results in the spewing of ash -- and advised people near the mountain to wear masks.&nbsp;

Mount Agung is one of more than 120 active volcanoes extending the length of Indonesia, which straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Mount Agung was belching thick grey smoke as high as 3,400 metres early Monday

An eruption could be imminent at a volcano belching huge plumes of smoke on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, officials warned Monday, as they raised the alert to the highest level and increased the exclusion zone. Huge plumes of smoke have been pouring out of Mount Agung since Tuesday and senior state volcanologist Gede Suantika said it was belching thick grey smoke more than two miles (three kilometers) into the sky early Monday. "The volcano's alert level has been raised to the highest level," said Suantika. "Constant tremors can be felt." The exclusion zone around the volcano, which is 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been widened to 10 kilometers, with people living in the exclusion zone being urged to evacuate. About 25,000 people living nearby the mountain have already left their homes and evacuated since Mount Agung first started to spew smoke Tuesday. "Continuous ash puffs are sometimes accompanied by explosive eruptions accompanied by a weak sound of boom," the National Board for Disaster Management said in a statement. "The rays of fire are increasingly observed at night. This indicates the potential for a larger eruption is imminent." 'Keep calm' National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho called for people to stay calm. "As we have widened the exclusion zone, so the number of people evacuating will increase but we don't have the latest data yet," he told AFP. "Most important is always to follow our instructions and keep calm," he added. Ash from Mount Agung has been covering villages nearby the volcano. Officials have distributed thousands of face masks to local residents. The airport in Bali's capital Denpasar, a top holiday destination that attracts millions of foreign tourists every year, has been closed. "Bali's airport has indeed been closed. We're still coordinating the next steps," airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim told AFP. The closure is set to affect tens of thousands of passengers, he added. The airport on Lombok island -- also a popular tourist destination east of Bali -- has been closed since Sunday afternoon as the ash from Mount Agung headed into that direction, but it reopened early Monday. The Australian government put out a travel advisory Sunday instructing travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia and follow the instructions of authorities. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing about 1,600 people. It rumbled back to life in September and authorities raised the alert to the highest level, forcing 140,000 people living nearby to evacuate. The volcano's activity decreased in late October and many people returned to their home as the alert was lowered to the second-highest level. But Mount Agung started rumbling again last Tuesday. The mountain sent smoke up into the air on Saturday for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption -- one which is caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater. Dozens of Balinese Hindus took part in ceremonies near the volcano on Sunday, offering prayers in the hope of preventing an eruption. Officials later on Sunday said the activity could be a magmatic eruption -- one which involves the decompression of gas and results in the spewing of ash -- and advised people near the mountain to wear masks. Mount Agung is one of more than 120 active volcanoes extending the length of Indonesia, which straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Eruption may be imminent, Bali volcano alert raised to highest level

Indonesia closed the airport on the tourist island of Bali on Monday and ordered 100,000 residents living near a grumbling volcano spewing columns of ash to evacuate immediately, warning that the first major eruption in 54 years could be &quot;imminent&quot;.

The airport was closed for 24 hours from Monday morning, disrupting 445 flights and some 59,000 passengers, after Mount Agung, which killed hundreds of people in 1963, sent volcanic ash high into the sky, and officials said cancellations could be extended.

&quot;Plumes of smoke are occasionally accompanied by explosive eruptions and the sound of weak blasts that can be heard up to 12 km (7 miles) from the peak,&quot; the Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said in a statement after raising the alert from three to its highest level of four.&nbsp;

&#39;&#39;The potential for a larger eruption is imminent,&quot; it said, referring to a visible glow of magma at Mount Agung&#39;s peak overnight, and warning residents to evacuate a danger zone at a radius of 8-10 km (5-6 miles).

Sutopo, a BNPB spokesman, said there had been no casualties so far and 40,000 people had left the area, but tens of thousands still needed to move.

Video footage shared by the agency showed volcanic mud flows (lahar) on the mountainside. Lahar carrying mud and large boulders can destroy houses, bridges, and roads in its path.

Bali, famous for its surf, beaches, and temples, attracted nearly 5 million visitors last year, and its airport serves as a transport hub for the chain of islands in Indonesia&#39;s eastern archipelago.

But tourism has slumped in parts of Bali since September when Agung&#39;s volcanic tremors began to increase and the alert level was raised to maximum before being lowered in October when seismic activity calmed.&quot;I&#39;m really worried. Maybe I&#39;ll go somewhere south that I think will be safe to avoid being trapped by the ashfall,&quot; said Maria Becker, a German tourist staying in Amed, around 15 km (9 miles) from the volcano.

Agung rises majestically over eastern Bali to a height of just over 3,000 metres (9,800 feet). Northeastern Bali is relatively undeveloped compared to the more heavily populated southern tourist hub of Kuta-Seminyak-Nusa Dua.&nbsp;

Indonesia&#39;s Vulcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre (PVMBG), which is using drones, satellite imagery and other equipment, said predictions were difficult in the absence of instrumental recordings from the last eruption 54 years ago.

In 1963, an eruption of Agung killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages by hurling out pyroclastic material, hot ash, lava and lahar.

Recordings now show the northeast area of Agung&#39;s peak has swollen in recent weeks &quot;indicating there is fairly strong pressure toward the surface&quot;, PVMBG said.

It warned that if a similar eruption occurred, it could send rocks bigger than fist-size up to 8 km (5 miles) from the summit and volcanic gas to a distance of 10 km (6 miles) within three minutes.

Some analysts, however, suggests the threat should not be as great this time because &quot;energy at Mount Agung&#39;s magma chamber is not as big&quot; and the ash column only around a quarter as high so far as the 20 km (12 miles) reached in 1963, Sutopo said.

Check-Ins Closed

Bali airport, about 60 km (37 miles) from the volcano, will be closed for 24 hours, its operator said.

Ten alternative airports have been prepared for airlines to divert inbound flights, including in neighbouring provinces. Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd said it was cancelling flights on Tuesday, while Jetstar was offering to exchange Bali bound tickets for other destinations.

Television footage showed hundreds of holidaymakers camped inside the airport terminal, some sleeping on their bags, others using mobile telephones.

&quot;We have been here (in Bali) for three days we are about to leave today, but just found out our flights have been cancelled. We have got no information because the gates, the check-ins, have been closed indefinitely,&quot; said Carlo Oben from Los Angeles.

Cover-More, Australia&#39;s biggest travel insurer, said on its website customers would only be covered if they had bought policies before the volcano alert was first issued on September 18.&nbsp;

Indonesia&#39;s hotel and restaurant association said stranded tourists at member hotels would get one night&#39;s free stay.&nbsp;

The main airport on Lombok, next to Bali, was closed after being open for much of the day, a spokesman said.

Airlines avoid flying when volcanic ash is present because it can damage engines and can clog fuel and cooling systems and hamper visibility.

Indonesia closed the airport on the tourist island of Bali on Monday and ordered 100,000 residents living near a grumbling volcano spewing columns of ash to evacuate immediately

Indonesia closed the airport on the tourist island of Bali on Monday and ordered 100,000 residents living near a grumbling volcano spewing columns of ash to evacuate immediately, warning that the first major eruption in 54 years could be "imminent". The airport was closed for 24 hours from Monday morning, disrupting 445 flights and some 59,000 passengers, after Mount Agung, which killed hundreds of people in 1963, sent volcanic ash high into the sky, and officials said cancellations could be extended. "Plumes of smoke are occasionally accompanied by explosive eruptions and the sound of weak blasts that can be heard up to 12 km (7 miles) from the peak," the Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said in a statement after raising the alert from three to its highest level of four. ''The potential for a larger eruption is imminent," it said, referring to a visible glow of magma at Mount Agung's peak overnight, and warning residents to evacuate a danger zone at a radius of 8-10 km (5-6 miles). Sutopo, a BNPB spokesman, said there had been no casualties so far and 40,000 people had left the area, but tens of thousands still needed to move. Video footage shared by the agency showed volcanic mud flows (lahar) on the mountainside. Lahar carrying mud and large boulders can destroy houses, bridges, and roads in its path. Bali, famous for its surf, beaches, and temples, attracted nearly 5 million visitors last year, and its airport serves as a transport hub for the chain of islands in Indonesia's eastern archipelago. But tourism has slumped in parts of Bali since September when Agung's volcanic tremors began to increase and the alert level was raised to maximum before being lowered in October when seismic activity calmed."I'm really worried. Maybe I'll go somewhere south that I think will be safe to avoid being trapped by the ashfall," said Maria Becker, a German tourist staying in Amed, around 15 km (9 miles) from the volcano. Agung rises majestically over eastern Bali to a height of just over 3,000 metres (9,800 feet). Northeastern Bali is relatively undeveloped compared to the more heavily populated southern tourist hub of Kuta-Seminyak-Nusa Dua. Indonesia's Vulcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre (PVMBG), which is using drones, satellite imagery and other equipment, said predictions were difficult in the absence of instrumental recordings from the last eruption 54 years ago. In 1963, an eruption of Agung killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages by hurling out pyroclastic material, hot ash, lava and lahar. Recordings now show the northeast area of Agung's peak has swollen in recent weeks "indicating there is fairly strong pressure toward the surface", PVMBG said. It warned that if a similar eruption occurred, it could send rocks bigger than fist-size up to 8 km (5 miles) from the summit and volcanic gas to a distance of 10 km (6 miles) within three minutes. Some analysts, however, suggests the threat should not be as great this time because "energy at Mount Agung's magma chamber is not as big" and the ash column only around a quarter as high so far as the 20 km (12 miles) reached in 1963, Sutopo said. Check-Ins Closed Bali airport, about 60 km (37 miles) from the volcano, will be closed for 24 hours, its operator said. Ten alternative airports have been prepared for airlines to divert inbound flights, including in neighbouring provinces. Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd said it was cancelling flights on Tuesday, while Jetstar was offering to exchange Bali bound tickets for other destinations. Television footage showed hundreds of holidaymakers camped inside the airport terminal, some sleeping on their bags, others using mobile telephones. "We have been here (in Bali) for three days we are about to leave today, but just found out our flights have been cancelled. We have got no information because the gates, the check-ins, have been closed indefinitely," said Carlo Oben from Los Angeles. Cover-More, Australia's biggest travel insurer, said on its website customers would only be covered if they had bought policies before the volcano alert was first issued on September 18. Indonesia's hotel and restaurant association said stranded tourists at member hotels would get one night's free stay. The main airport on Lombok, next to Bali, was closed after being open for much of the day, a spokesman said. Airlines avoid flying when volcanic ash is present because it can damage engines and can clog fuel and cooling systems and hamper visibility.

Indonesia orders immediate evacuation as highest alert issued for Bali volcano

A volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali sent plumes of grey smoke and steam thousands of metres into the air on Sunday for the third day&nbsp;in a week, triggering flight cancellations which have left thousands of tourists stranded, officials said Sunday.

Mount Agung spewed smoke and ash as high as 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) Sunday morning, causing at least 28 departing or arriving flights to be delayed or cancelled, said a spokesman for Bali&#39;s airport.

Indonesia&#39;s volcanology centre has put out a red alert warning airlines of a possible eruption, with a likely significant emission of ash into the atmosphere. But as of Sunday afternoon Bali&#39;s Ngurah Rai airport was still open.

The decision to delay or divert flight was up to individual airlines, said airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim.

&quot;We try to make the airport as comfortable as possible for the passengers affected. So far we have provided special rooms for them to unpack their luggage and video entertainment so they can relax a bit,&quot; Ahsanurrohim told AFP.

At least 2,000 passengers are affected by the flight disruption, mostly tourists from Australia.

&quot;I am meant to be at work tomorrow. How am I going to pay my bills?&quot; said Sydney-based tourist Jake Vidler.

Several domestic flights have also been cancelled such as to the nearby island of Lombok, also a popular tourist destination east of Bali. The wind has blown Mount Agung&#39;s ash in that direction.

&quot;I&#39;ve received a refund from my airline. Now I&#39;m trying to go to Lombok by boat, hopefully the harbour is open,&quot; said Ismono, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people.

It rumbled back to life in September and authorities raise the alert to the highest level, forcing 140,000 people living nearby to evacuate.

The volcano&#39;s activity decreased in late October and many people returned to their home as the alert was lowered to the second-highest level.

But Mount Agung rumbled again last Tuesday, forcing 25,000 people to seek shelter. Authorities urged people living within 7.5 kilometres (4.5 miles) of the mountain to evacuate.

The mountain spewed smoke and ash on Saturday for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption&nbsp;- one which is caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater.

&nbsp;

Mount Agung spewed smoke and ash as high as 4,000 metres Sunday morning, causing at least 28 departing or arriving flights to be delayed or cancelled

A volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali sent plumes of grey smoke and steam thousands of metres into the air on Sunday for the third day in a week, triggering flight cancellations which have left thousands of tourists stranded, officials said Sunday. Mount Agung spewed smoke and ash as high as 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) Sunday morning, causing at least 28 departing or arriving flights to be delayed or cancelled, said a spokesman for Bali's airport. Indonesia's volcanology centre has put out a red alert warning airlines of a possible eruption, with a likely significant emission of ash into the atmosphere. But as of Sunday afternoon Bali's Ngurah Rai airport was still open. The decision to delay or divert flight was up to individual airlines, said airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim. "We try to make the airport as comfortable as possible for the passengers affected. So far we have provided special rooms for them to unpack their luggage and video entertainment so they can relax a bit," Ahsanurrohim told AFP. At least 2,000 passengers are affected by the flight disruption, mostly tourists from Australia. "I am meant to be at work tomorrow. How am I going to pay my bills?" said Sydney-based tourist Jake Vidler. Several domestic flights have also been cancelled such as to the nearby island of Lombok, also a popular tourist destination east of Bali. The wind has blown Mount Agung's ash in that direction. "I've received a refund from my airline. Now I'm trying to go to Lombok by boat, hopefully the harbour is open," said Ismono, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people. It rumbled back to life in September and authorities raise the alert to the highest level, forcing 140,000 people living nearby to evacuate. The volcano's activity decreased in late October and many people returned to their home as the alert was lowered to the second-highest level. But Mount Agung rumbled again last Tuesday, forcing 25,000 people to seek shelter. Authorities urged people living within 7.5 kilometres (4.5 miles) of the mountain to evacuate. The mountain spewed smoke and ash on Saturday for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption - one which is caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater.

Dozens of flights cancelled or delayed as Bali volcano spews smoke

A rumbling volcano on Indonesia&#39;s holiday island of Bali spewed ash and towering clouds of smoke Tuesday, heightening fears it may erupt for the first time in more than 50 years.

Mount Agung belched smoke as high as 700 metres (2,300 feet) above its summit, as it stirred to life again after more than 140,000 people fled homes around the crater last month for fear the volcano would erupt.

Nearly 1,600 people died when Agung last erupted in 1963, but officials said Tuesday that the rumblings did not pose an immediate threat to those living in its shadow.

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<h5>Officials said the rumblings did not pose an immediate threat to the people living in Agung&#39;s shadow</h5>
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The alert level has not been raised, according to Made Indra, from Bali&#39;s disaster mitigation agency.

&quot;To us, this is not an eruption,&quot; Indra told AFP. &quot;An eruption means materials are spewing out of the mountain, and in this case, there hasn&#39;t been any. This is smoke.&quot;

But local volcanologist Gede Suantika added that &quot;people within six kilometres of the mountain (summit) should evacuate&quot;.&nbsp;

Agung has been rumbling intermittently since August.

Officials estimated concerns about an eruption over the past few months had cost Bali at least $110 million in lost tourism and productivity as many local residents moved to shelters.

Indonesia is home to around 130 volcanoes due to its position on the &quot;Ring of Fire&quot;, a belt of tectonic plate boundaries circling the Pacific Ocean where frequent seismic activity occurs

In 2010 Mount Merapi - considered one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world - erupted, killing some more than 300 people and forcing 280,000 people to flee.

Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island - which is currently also at its highest alert level - has been active since 2013.

Nearly 1,600 people died when Mount Agung last erupted in 1963

A rumbling volcano on Indonesia's holiday island of Bali spewed ash and towering clouds of smoke Tuesday, heightening fears it may erupt for the first time in more than 50 years. Mount Agung belched smoke as high as 700 metres (2,300 feet) above its summit, as it stirred to life again after more than 140,000 people fled homes around the crater last month for fear the volcano would erupt. Nearly 1,600 people died when Agung last erupted in 1963, but officials said Tuesday that the rumblings did not pose an immediate threat to those living in its shadow. Officials said the rumblings did not pose an immediate threat to the people living in Agung's shadow × The alert level has not been raised, according to Made Indra, from Bali's disaster mitigation agency. "To us, this is not an eruption," Indra told AFP. "An eruption means materials are spewing out of the mountain, and in this case, there hasn't been any. This is smoke." But local volcanologist Gede Suantika added that "people within six kilometres of the mountain (summit) should evacuate". Agung has been rumbling intermittently since August. Officials estimated concerns about an eruption over the past few months had cost Bali at least $110 million in lost tourism and productivity as many local residents moved to shelters. Indonesia is home to around 130 volcanoes due to its position on the "Ring of Fire", a belt of tectonic plate boundaries circling the Pacific Ocean where frequent seismic activity occurs In 2010 Mount Merapi - considered one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world - erupted, killing some more than 300 people and forcing 280,000 people to flee. Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island - which is currently also at its highest alert level - has been active since 2013.

Bali volcano spews smoke and ash, raising eruption fears

More than 122,000 people have fled their homes on the resort island of Bali, fearing that a rumbling volcano could erupt at any time, disaster officials said.

Mount Agung, 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the resort hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August and threatening to erupt for the first time since 1963. It could be a potential blow to the country&#39;s lucrative tourism industry.

Officials at an evacuation centre in Klungkung district said 122,490 people had left their homes, taking refuge at nearly 500 makeshift shelters or moving in with relatives.

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In Indonesia, officials have announced the highest possible alert level and warned people to stay at least nine kilometres away from the crater. (AFP)
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Around 62,000 people lived in the danger zone before the evacuations, according to Indonesia&#39;s disaster mitigation agency, but residents just outside the area have also left their homes out of fear.

Despite the significant increase in estimated evacuees, the government said it was prepared.

&quot;In general the evacuation is going well, the logistics supply is sufficient for the evacuees&#39; needs,&quot; Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the agency spokesman, said on Thursday.

This week Indonesia&#39;s national disaster agency has sent face masks, mattresses, blankets and tents for evacuees, who have also been provided with food.

Five mobile sirens have been installed in the danger zone to warn residents in the event of an eruption.

Around 10,000 animals have also been evacuated from the flanks of the volcano.

Officials estimate there are at least 30,000 cows within a 12-kilometre radius of the mountain&rsquo;s summit, and efforts to relocate them are ongoing.

&quot;We&#39;ve set a target to evacuate 20,000 more cows from the affected areas,&quot; Nugroho said.

The animals are extremely valuable to the evacuees, mostly farmers, some of whom have refused to leave the danger zone, the spokesman said.

The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said Mount Agung was highly active on Thursday, recording 125 volcanic earthquakes between 12 am (1700 GMT) and 6 am. &nbsp;

&quot;If we look at the magnitude, it continues to increase, yesterday we also felt several quakes with the magnitude of three on the Richter scale,&quot; said Kasbani, a head volcanologist at the centre who goes by one name.

Highest alert level&nbsp;

Elsewhere, the threat of a separate volcanic eruption on the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu prompted authorities on Thursday to order the compulsory evacuation of the entire island of Ambae, home to 11,000 people.

Vanuatu&#39;s National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) said it was the first time in living memory that an island&#39;s whole population had been moved because of volcanic activity.&nbsp;

The Manaro Voui volcano, which last erupted in 2005, sent up a plume of steam and ash over the weekend, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency.&nbsp;

In Indonesia, officials have announced the highest possible alert level and warned people to stay at least nine kilometres away from the crater.

The airport in Bali&#39;s capital Denpasar, through which millions of foreign tourists pass every year, has not been affected, but several countries including Australia and Singapore have issued a travel advisory.

Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people.

Mount Agung, 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the resort hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August and threatening to erupt for the first time since 1963

More than 122,000 people have fled their homes on the resort island of Bali, fearing that a rumbling volcano could erupt at any time, disaster officials said. Mount Agung, 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the resort hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August and threatening to erupt for the first time since 1963. It could be a potential blow to the country's lucrative tourism industry. Officials at an evacuation centre in Klungkung district said 122,490 people had left their homes, taking refuge at nearly 500 makeshift shelters or moving in with relatives. In Indonesia, officials have announced the highest possible alert level and warned people to stay at least nine kilometres away from the crater. (AFP) × Around 62,000 people lived in the danger zone before the evacuations, according to Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency, but residents just outside the area have also left their homes out of fear. Despite the significant increase in estimated evacuees, the government said it was prepared. "In general the evacuation is going well, the logistics supply is sufficient for the evacuees' needs," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the agency spokesman, said on Thursday. This week Indonesia's national disaster agency has sent face masks, mattresses, blankets and tents for evacuees, who have also been provided with food. Five mobile sirens have been installed in the danger zone to warn residents in the event of an eruption. Around 10,000 animals have also been evacuated from the flanks of the volcano. Officials estimate there are at least 30,000 cows within a 12-kilometre radius of the mountain’s summit, and efforts to relocate them are ongoing. "We've set a target to evacuate 20,000 more cows from the affected areas," Nugroho said. The animals are extremely valuable to the evacuees, mostly farmers, some of whom have refused to leave the danger zone, the spokesman said. The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said Mount Agung was highly active on Thursday, recording 125 volcanic earthquakes between 12 am (1700 GMT) and 6 am. "If we look at the magnitude, it continues to increase, yesterday we also felt several quakes with the magnitude of three on the Richter scale," said Kasbani, a head volcanologist at the centre who goes by one name. Highest alert level Elsewhere, the threat of a separate volcanic eruption on the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu prompted authorities on Thursday to order the compulsory evacuation of the entire island of Ambae, home to 11,000 people. Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) said it was the first time in living memory that an island's whole population had been moved because of volcanic activity. The Manaro Voui volcano, which last erupted in 2005, sent up a plume of steam and ash over the weekend, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency. In Indonesia, officials have announced the highest possible alert level and warned people to stay at least nine kilometres away from the crater. The airport in Bali's capital Denpasar, through which millions of foreign tourists pass every year, has not been affected, but several countries including Australia and Singapore have issued a travel advisory. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people.

More than 120,000 flee rumbling Bali volcano

Indonesian authorities are on standby to divert flights destined for the holiday island of Bali as increasingly <a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/9972">frequent tremors</a> from a rumbling <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/tourists-evacuated-as-indonesian-volcano-erupts-6886">volcano stoke fears </a>an eruption could be imminent.

Mount Agung, about 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August, threatening to erupt for the first time in more than 50 years and forcing more than 80,000 people to flee their homes.

Bali attracts millions of foreign visitors every year to its palm-fringed beaches and an eruption would be a major blow to its tourism-dependent economy.

The airport in Bali`s capital Denpasar has not been affected but several countries including Australia and Singapore have issued travel advisories warning travellers to exercise caution.

In anticipation of an eruption, Indonesia plans to divert flights headed for Bali to ten other airports, including on nearby Lombok and to the capital Jakarta.

&quot;The planes will be diverted to their nearest location or where it originally took off from,&quot; transport minister Budi Karya Sumadi said.&nbsp;

Airlines are watching the situation closely and 100 buses have been prepared to evacuate tourists.

Virgin Australia said it would be making an extra fuel stop in Darwin for some of its flights between Australia and Bali in case it is forced to turn back.

Singapore Airlines said customers travelling between&nbsp;September 23 and October 2&nbsp;could rebook flights or ask for a refund.

Officials announced the highest possible alert level&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;due to the increasing volcanic activity, and told people to stay at least nine kilometres away from the crater.

The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation recorded almost<a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/9876"> 300 tremors</a>&nbsp;Wednesday&nbsp;morning. A thin column of smoke can be seen rising from the mountain`s summit.

Indonesia lies on the Pacific &quot;Ring of Fire&quot; where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people.

Frequent tremors from a rumbling volcano have stoked fears an eruption could be imminent

Indonesian authorities are on standby to divert flights destined for the holiday island of Bali as increasingly frequent tremors from a rumbling volcano stoke fears an eruption could be imminent. Mount Agung, about 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been shaking since August, threatening to erupt for the first time in more than 50 years and forcing more than 80,000 people to flee their homes. Bali attracts millions of foreign visitors every year to its palm-fringed beaches and an eruption would be a major blow to its tourism-dependent economy. The airport in Bali`s capital Denpasar has not been affected but several countries including Australia and Singapore have issued travel advisories warning travellers to exercise caution. In anticipation of an eruption, Indonesia plans to divert flights headed for Bali to ten other airports, including on nearby Lombok and to the capital Jakarta. "The planes will be diverted to their nearest location or where it originally took off from," transport minister Budi Karya Sumadi said. Airlines are watching the situation closely and 100 buses have been prepared to evacuate tourists. Virgin Australia said it would be making an extra fuel stop in Darwin for some of its flights between Australia and Bali in case it is forced to turn back. Singapore Airlines said customers travelling between September 23 and October 2 could rebook flights or ask for a refund. Officials announced the highest possible alert level on Friday due to the increasing volcanic activity, and told people to stay at least nine kilometres away from the crater. The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation recorded almost 300 tremors Wednesday morning. A thin column of smoke can be seen rising from the mountain`s summit. Indonesia lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people.

Indonesia ready to divert tourists as Bali volcano rumbles

Evacuation of residents from villages near a rumbling volcano continued for the&nbsp;fourth day on Monday (25th of September).

Nearly 35,000 people have been evacuated after authorities imposed a 12-km exclusion zone around the crater of Mount Agung last week as increasing volcanic activity sent strong tremors through areas in the eastern part of one of the world&#39;s most popular tourist destinations.

Thousands of evacuees were housed in makeshift shelters including town halls and school gyms and tents in villages around the volcano, and authorities expect the numbers to climb.

Many residents are still making daytime trips to their homes and life is largely continuing as usual in the area. Flights at Bali&#39;s international airport were operating as per normal on Monday as were tourist spots across the rest of the island.

Nearly 35,000 people have been evacuated after authorities imposed a 12-km exclusion zone around the crater of Mount Agung last week.

Evacuation of residents from villages near a rumbling volcano continued for the fourth day on Monday (25th of September). Nearly 35,000 people have been evacuated after authorities imposed a 12-km exclusion zone around the crater of Mount Agung last week as increasing volcanic activity sent strong tremors through areas in the eastern part of one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. Thousands of evacuees were housed in makeshift shelters including town halls and school gyms and tents in villages around the volcano, and authorities expect the numbers to climb. Many residents are still making daytime trips to their homes and life is largely continuing as usual in the area. Flights at Bali's international airport were operating as per normal on Monday as were tourist spots across the rest of the island.

Thousands evacuated as rumbling Bali volcano turns increasingly active

An explosion hit a ferry today between the Indonesian resort islands of Bali and Lombok killing two foreigners and injuring 18 other tourists, AFP reported.&nbsp; 
 
The speedboat, which was carrying about 30 people including four crew members,&nbsp;had just left Padang Bai port in eastern Bali when the blast was reported. 
 
An Austrian woman was killed along with a second female foreigner, whose nationality was still being verified. Two German citizens were injured while nationals from Britain, France, Italy, Portugal, Ireland and Spain were also among the passengers. 
 
&quot;The explosion happened five minutes after the boat departed,&quot; local police chief Sugeng Sudarso told AFP, adding the vessel had been about 200 metres (yards) from the port.Bali and neighbouring Lombok are two of Indonesia&#39;s most popular holiday destination.&nbsp; 
 
A still picture from Reuters showed police investigating at the port in Padangbai. The boat reportedly had German, British, French Portuguese and Italian nationals on board.&nbsp; 
 
While Reuters said that the cause of the incident was being investigated as&nbsp;the injured people were rushed to a local hospital, AFP quoted police saying that the blast appeared to have happened in the fuel tank, adding it was not caused by a bomb.&nbsp; 
 
It is pertinent to mention that Indonesia has a poor maritime safety record and there have been similar incidents in the past where no foul play was detected. 
 
The archipelago of more than 17,000 islands is heavily dependent on ferry services yet the poor safety record and frequent accidents raise concerns.&nbsp; 
 
Last year, dozens of tourists were injured when small explosions hit a ferry crossing between Bali and the neighbouring holiday island of Lombok, according to AFP.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The blast, which appeared to have occurred in the fuel tank of the vessel, was not caused by a bomb, authorities said

An explosion hit a ferry today between the Indonesian resort islands of Bali and Lombok killing two foreigners and injuring 18 other tourists, AFP reported. The speedboat, which was carrying about 30 people including four crew members, had just left Padang Bai port in eastern Bali when the blast was reported. An Austrian woman was killed along with a second female foreigner, whose nationality was still being verified. Two German citizens were injured while nationals from Britain, France, Italy, Portugal, Ireland and Spain were also among the passengers. "The explosion happened five minutes after the boat departed," local police chief Sugeng Sudarso told AFP, adding the vessel had been about 200 metres (yards) from the port.Bali and neighbouring Lombok are two of Indonesia's most popular holiday destination. A still picture from Reuters showed police investigating at the port in Padangbai. The boat reportedly had German, British, French Portuguese and Italian nationals on board. While Reuters said that the cause of the incident was being investigated as the injured people were rushed to a local hospital, AFP quoted police saying that the blast appeared to have happened in the fuel tank, adding it was not caused by a bomb. It is pertinent to mention that Indonesia has a poor maritime safety record and there have been similar incidents in the past where no foul play was detected. The archipelago of more than 17,000 islands is heavily dependent on ferry services yet the poor safety record and frequent accidents raise concerns. Last year, dozens of tourists were injured when small explosions hit a ferry crossing between Bali and the neighbouring holiday island of Lombok, according to AFP. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Bali speedboat explosion kills 2, injures 18

An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck off the Indonesian island of Lombok today, the United States Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. 
 
The earthquake, which hit 234 km (145 miles) south of Lombok, at a depth of 29 km (18 miles), also briefly startled tourists on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. 
 
The quake was strong, with tremors lasting for three to four seconds, but did not trigger a tsunami alert, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman of Indonesia&#39;s Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). 
 
&quot;The quake went on for quite a while,&quot; said a witness in Lombok. &quot;People ran out from houses in panic.&quot; 
 
In December 2004, a strong earthquake off the Indonesian Island&nbsp;Sumatra&nbsp;had triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 14 countries.Indonesia was the worst hit, followed by Sri Lanka, Thailand and India.&nbsp;

The quake hit 234 km south of Lombok and briefly startled tourists on Bali but did not trigger a tsunami alert

An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck off the Indonesian island of Lombok today, the United States Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The earthquake, which hit 234 km (145 miles) south of Lombok, at a depth of 29 km (18 miles), also briefly startled tourists on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. The quake was strong, with tremors lasting for three to four seconds, but did not trigger a tsunami alert, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman of Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). "The quake went on for quite a while," said a witness in Lombok. "People ran out from houses in panic." In December 2004, a strong earthquake off the Indonesian Island Sumatra had triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 14 countries.Indonesia was the worst hit, followed by Sri Lanka, Thailand and India.

6.2 earthquake hits Indonesia, no casualties reported

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