A volcanic eruption in Indonesia has spewed a colossal ash tower into the sky on Tuesday night, causing mayhem for travellers heading to Bali.
Both Jetstar and Virgin cancelled services both to and from the popular holiday destination on Wednesday morning.
Mount Lewotobi unleashed a 10,000-metre-tall smoke ash column into the air, which authorities described as ‘grey with thick intensity’ at 5.35pm local time.
A Jetstar spokeswoman said flights out of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide had been impacted by the volcanic eruption.
Four return flights were cancelled on Wednesday morning as volcanic ash made conditions unsafe for flying.
‘At this stage, forecasts show the ash cloud is expected to clear by later tonight,’ the spokeswoman said.
‘As a result, this afternoons flights will be delayed to operate later this evening.
‘We are reaching out to customers on these flights to advise them of the delay.’
A Virgin spokeswoman said guests travelling to or from Bali, which lies 830km east of Mt Lewotobi, should check for updates on their flight’s status through the company’s website or app.
On Tuesday afternoon, tourists and locals were urged to remain at least seven kilometres away from the volcano’s crater.
Indonesia’s Geology Agency head Muhammad Wafid warned residents to wear face masks to protect themselves from ash and debris.
There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties on Tuesday afternoon, but residents remained on alert for hazardous lahar flows – a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic material.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said at least one township had to evacuate on Tuesday afternoon as images on Tuesday showed an orange mushroom-shaped ash cloud appearing to engulf a village.
Videos circulating on social platform X showed the towering column of hot ash billowing in the air, as screams and cries are heard in the background.
Ash rain was reported in several villages outside the exclusion zone.
Mount Lewotobi – meaning ‘husband and wife’ – is a twin volcano on the popular tourist island of Flores and has two peaks, Lewotobi Laki-Laki and Lewotobi Perempuan.
The more active peak, Laki-Laki was responsible for Tuesday’s ash cloud.
The highest point of the Laki-Laki peak is 1,584m from sea level.
The Perempuan peak is about 1,708m tall.
In November, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times.
The volcano spewed molten debris at villages up to 4km away.
The eruptions killed nine people and forced thousands to evacuate.
It also caused the cancellation of scores of international flights to Bali.
A period of activity in December 2023 left an estimated 6,500 people displaced.
The Indonesian archipelago plays host to frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the ‘Ring of Fire’ in the Pacific.