Volcano Traps Thousands at Indonesia's Top Tourist Spot
Impacting Travel Donald Wood November 28, 2017
As the volcanic ash from Mount Agung continues to spew into the air, officials in Bali have shut down the island’s international airport for another day as tens of thousands of travelers remain stranded.
According to NBCNews.com, authorities working with Ngurah Rai International Airport announced it will be closed for another 24 hours as the volcanic ash has reached 30,000 feet into the air, causing possible issues for outgoing flights.
In total, an estimated 59,000 tourists were stranded on the island, which is Indonesia’s top tourist destination. While the Bali airport was shut down Monday and remains closed, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency revealed Lombok International Airport located on a nearby Indonesian island has reopened.
Some of the tourists stranded on Bali are Americans, including Illinois resident Erin Burns who arrived on the island for a wedding. She was originally scheduled to return to the United States Monday, but cancellations have forced her to stay extra days at her resort.
“Some are making the best of it, but you can tell we all really want to get home — or at least have an idea of when we can leave,” Burns told NBC News.
READ MORE: Why You Should Travel to Indonesia in 2017
While some stranded travelers are taking the news hard, Michael Josh is staying positive.
“Bali isn’t the worst place in the world to get stuck,” Josh told NBC News. “It’s kind of an extended holiday for me.”
As Mount Agung continues to erupt, airport officials in Bali are reviewing their decision to close the facility every six hours. The last time the volcano erupted was in 1963, and the disaster killed around 1,100 people.
With the knowledge of the previous eruption, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency is not taking any risks and moving an estimated 90,000-100,000 people to the island’s evacuation centers, which are already housing around 25,000 evacuees.
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