Bali bound Air India flight returns safely amid massive volcano eruption

Air India flight AI2145 from Delhi to Bali was advised to return to Delhi in the interest of passenger safety, after dozens of flights to and from Indonesia’s resort island of Bali were cancelled after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano erupted on Tuesday, June 17.

The eruption occurred on the eastern island of Flores, where the 1,584-metre volcano forced authorities to raise its alert status to the highest level on Indonesia’s four-tier scale.

Air India said that the AI2145 flight safely landed back in Delhi, and all passengers disembarked. “Inconvenience caused to passengers is sincerely regretted, and every effort has been made to minimise it by providing hotel accommodation to the affected passengers. Full refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling have also been offered to them if they opt,” added the airline.

Dozens of flights on Wednesday were cancelled, including those connecting Bali to cities in Australia, Malaysia, India and China, according to the website of Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. However, some departures were delayed until later in the evening as the ash cloud was expected to clear.

The eruption alert was raised to the highest level on Tuesday, and the danger zone where people are recommended to leave was expanded to 8 kilometres from the crater.

Lewotobi is a twin volcano located in the southeastern part of the island of Flores, Indonesia. It has two peaks: the Lewotobi Laki-laki and Lewotobi Perempuan stratovolcanoes. The more active Lewotobi Laki-laki is about 2.1 km northwest of the taller Lewotobi Perempuan.

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki previously erupted in November, killing nine people and injuring dozens. It also erupted in March.

Indonesia is an archipelago of 270 million people with frequent seismic activity. It has 120 active volcanoes and sits along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

(With agency inputs)