Bali hit by volcanic ash after Mount Agung erupts

Mount Agung spews volcanic ashes as seen from Tulamben village in Karangasem regency in Bali on Feb. 22. Antara/Nyoman Hendra Wibowo via The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network

Volcanic ash hit parts of Bali, including Klungkung, Bangli, Denpasar, Badung and Tabanan on Sunday morning following the eruption of Mount Agung in Karangasem.

The eruption, however, did not affect the operations of Bali’s main airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Mt. Agung’s observatory post recorded the eruption at 3:21 a.m. local time, with the volcano spewing ash up to around 2,000 meters from the volcano’s peak.

The local disaster mitigation agency immediately took precautionary action.

“Our team has begun distributing face masks [to affected people],” Bali Disaster Mitigation Agency head Made Rentin said on Sunday.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation maintained the volcano’s alert level at the third of the four-tiered levels of the volcano alert system.

“Residents and tourists should steer clear of the danger zone within a 4-kilometer radius from the crater,” the center warned. (swd)