Volcano in Bali erupts, briefly disrupting flights

Jakarta: Bali’s airport has returned to normal operations after some flights were canceled on Friday night following an eruption of the Mount Agung volcano that spread ash over the south of the Indonesian island.

The national disaster agency said the eruption lasted 4 minutes and 30 seconds and spread lava and incandescent rocks about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the crater.

Nine villages experienced thick ash fall. But the agency said it wasn’t raising the alert level for the volcano and its exclusion zone remains a 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) radius around the crater. No evacuation was necessary, said spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

Bali airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim said nine flights between Bali and Australia were canceled on Friday night. Six postponed flights for Qantas and Virgin Australia would operate on Saturday, he said.

A gung became active again in 2017 after more than a half century of slumber following a major eruption in 1963.