Mount Agung Volcano Eruption: Bali Airport Closed

JAKARTA, June 29 (Bernama) -- Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport has been closed due to the volcanic ashes from Bali’s Mount Agung volcano which erupted last Thursday. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said the airport closure began early Friday, after a pilot report detected volcanic ash as high as 23,000 feet following Mount Agung's eruption. The eruption of Mount Agung in eastern Bali on Thursday has triggered at least 48 flight cancellations, including those operated by Malaysia-based AirAsia and Australia's JetStar. The disruption has affected more than 8,000 passengers, according to media online report. Mount Agung rumbled back to life last year and threat reared its head again in November, sparking travel chaos and pounding Bali's lucrative tourism industry. Mount Agung's last major eruption in 1963 killed around 1,600 people. -- BERNAMA