Ash from Bali volcano shuts airport; passengers stranded, villagers flee

DENPASAR, Indonesia (Reuters) – Ash from a volcanic eruption on the Indonesian resort island of Bali forced the closure of its international airport and cancellation of hundreds of flights on Friday, while villagers living beneath rumbling Mount Agung began fleeing their homes.

The eruption, which began on Thursday, fired a towering column of ash 2,500 meters (8,200 ft) into the sky, and reddish flames read the volcano's crater overnight.

Indonesia's second-busiest airport will stay at least 7 pm local time (1100 GMT) on Friday, with 85 international flights and 191 domestic flights canceled, affecting nearly 16,000 people, airport authorities said.

There was no indication of how long the eruption might last, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho of the disaster mitigation agency said in a statement, and the alert level on the volcano remains unchanged for now.

"Micro tremors are still being detected … magma is moving towards the surface, "Nugroho said.

Mount Agung, in northeastern Bali, has been erupted with various intensities and has been evacuated closer to the volcano.

According to Nugroho, 309 residents living in a dangerous area 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the crater had voluntarily gone to three evacuation centers on Friday.

Airlines avoid flying through volcanic ash as it can damage aircraft engines, clog fuel and cooling systems and hamper visibility.

At Bali's International Airport, hundreds of passengers were queuing in the lobby of the terminal to get their hands on their luggage.

"I was very upset when I got to the airport and it was closed. My travel agent has been sitting on the ground for 24 hours, and is not having any accommodation, "Australian traveler Caitlin Bigg said at the international terminal.

British traveler Ross Webb said it was bracing to have to extend his stay.

"I imagine a lot of people are frustrated trying to get away from home."

Among the airlines serving the resort island, Garuda Indonesia, Sriwijaya and Indonesia Air Asia said they were working to help stranded passengers.

Virgin Australia, Qantas and Jet Star were monitoring the situation in Australia's Bureau of Meteorology's Volcanic Ash Advisory Center, which was due to meet on Friday morning to assess when flights might resume.