More travel chaos as volcano closes Bali airport again
AFP
AFP, DENPASAR: Ash spewing from an Indonesian volcano closed Bali airport again Sunday, just a day after it reopened, causing fresh travel chaos for weary holidaymakers stranded on the holiday island.
Mount Raung on the main island of Java has been erupting for weeks, and on Thursday a cloud of drifting ash forced the closure of Bali airport during peak holiday season, and four others.
The airport at Bali, a top international holiday destination that attracts millions of foreign tourists every year, reopened on Saturday as the ash drifted away, allowing some passengers to board flights home and others to arrive.
But Sunday morning,
the transport ministry announced wind had once again pushed the cloud over the resort island and that the airport was being closed again until at least 4:00 pm (0800 GMT).
We will continue to monitor developments and decide if the closure will be extended later, transport ministry spokesman J.A. Barata told AFP.
Many passengers were surprised after the new closure was announced.
Someone just said the airport was closed for at least six hours ... gotta be kidding, said one stranded tourist, Steve Dunthorne, on Twitter.
