Several eruptions of Mount Agung, a volcano in Bali, are causing weekend flight delays and cancellations throughout the region.
The volcano erupted three times on Saturday, according to CNN, with ash shooing up to 2.5 miles in the air and the resulting smoke ultimately reaching as high as five miles. In addition to ash and smoke, overnight photos of the volcano also captured what appeared to be magma, reported Reuters.
"The activity of Mount Agung has entered the magmatic eruption phase. It is still spewing ash at the moment but we need to monitor and be cautious over the possibility of a strong, explosive eruption," said Gede Suantika, a government official at Indonesia's volcanology and geological disaster mitigation agency.
As a result of the activity, government officials have set the Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) warning level at its highest "red" level, while major airlines have canceled flights in and out of Bali for Saturday, Sunday and even some flights extending into Monday. Cathay Pacific, Garuda Indonesia KLM, Qantas and Virgin Airlines are among the affected airlines.
"Due to the significant volcanic ash and current weather conditions, we have made the decision to cancel the rest of today's flights to and from Bali as a precautionary measure," wrote Virgin in a travel advisory on its website.
Bali's main airport, Ngurah Rai International Airport, remains open, although the New York Times reports that some 45 flights in and out of the facility have been canceled. Reportedly, more than 4,000 passengers were also stranded at the airport after their flights were grounded.
Meanwhile, on neighboring island Lombok, the international airport closed to all traffic.
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The U.S. Consulate in Surabaya urged travelers to confirm their flights with their airlines.
Indonesia's disaster agency (BPBD) has said Bali is "still safe" for tourists, with the exception of a 4.5-mile ring around Mount Agung.
Mt. Agung has been rumbling for months, causing officials to relocate tens of thousands of residents from their homes, in preparation for an eruption. It first erupted earlier this week, on Tuesday, although that activity was considered minor, only sending ash and smoke up to 2,400 feet in the air.
Bali, a popular visitor destination, received more than 5 million inbound visitors last year, but Reuters reports that tourism numbers have steadily been dropping since September when the volcano first started rumbling.
When Mount Agung last erupted, in 1963, it killed more than 1,000 people and shot ash as high as 16 miles in the air.
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