Thousands of tourists were stranded at Bali's Ngurah Rai airport, with 280 flights cancelled, and some 15,700 passengers affected after the Mount Agung volcano erupted, a thick plume of ash and smoke shooting thousands of metres into the sky on Thursday. Thousands of tourists were stranded at Bali's Ngurah Rai airport, with 280 flights cancelled, and some 15,700 passengers affected after the Mount Agung volcano gushed a 2,500-metre column of ash and smoke into the sky on Thursday. Eruption of Bali's Mount Agung volcano sends column of ash and smoke 8,200 feet into the sky. Officials say nearly 450 flights to and from the island were canceled, affecting some 75,000 people. https://t.co/Iuc8fEFvfC pic.twitter.com/tEbigicLl1 — ABC News (@ABC) June 29, 2018 Flights cancelled included Malaysia-based AirAsia and Australia's JetStar. Ash is dangerous for planes as it makes runways slippery and can be sucked into their engines. Despite the eruption, the volcano's status has not been raised by Indonesia's volcanology agency and remained at alert level, while the Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation has issued an orange level warning. A striking orange-red glow could be seen at the top of Mount Agung's crater after it shot smoke and ash some 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) into the sky Thursday evening. The last time there was a major eruption at Mount Agung was in 1963 (after 120 years) which killed nearly 1,500 people, according to BBC. The eruption lasted for almost a year. Here's all you need about the volcano: Mount Agung, situated in northeastern Bali, is 612 miles (984 kilometres) from Indonesia's capital of Jakarta, and 11 miles (18 kilometres) from Bali’s other volcano, Mount Batur. It is a composite volcano, also known as a stratovolcano, which means that in such volcanoes, volcanic ash, lava and other eruption material piles up steeply. They form typical conical volcanoes, which can also be high mountains. Agung rises to a height of 9,888 feet (3,014 metres). The first eruption was recorded in 1843 by Swiss botanist Heinrich Zollinger where thousands of people and animals died. The next eruption in 1963, was one of the largest and most destructive in the country's history. The first indications of the volcano being active were the recurrent feeble earthquake tremors felt by villagers living in Jekhuri, close to the peak. On 18 February, 1963, the first thin column of smoke could be seen. By 20 February, lava had started to flow down the slope claiming its first victims. Minor eruptions continued on the island for months, where about 280 million cubic metres of magma was ejected, according to The Independent. Lava reportedly travelled as far as 14 kilometres to the south. However, the deadliest effects of the eruption were the pyroclastic flows. According to DW, they are hot clouds of gases, ash and rock debris that race down the mountain at a very high speed. These waves of superheated gas can travel up to hundreds of kilometres per hour, similar to a volcanic avalanche. The Washington Post quoted the US Geological Survey as saying: "A pyroclastic flow will destroy nearly everything in its path. With rock fragments ranging in size from ash to boulders travelling across the ground at speeds typically greater than [50 mph], pyroclastic flows knock down, shatter, bury or carry away nearly all objects and structures in their way." They pose the biggest threat. At present, there is a four-kilometre (2.5 mile) no-go zone around Agung's peak. Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 250 million people, sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Government seismologists monitor more than 120 active volcanoes. With inputs from agencies<doc-sep>Bali volcano: Amazing footage of Mount Agung erupting top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Mount Agung has burst back to life and erupted yet again, spewing a 2,500m ash cloud into the air. The latest eruption happened at 12.20pm local time on Wednesday (5.20am BST) and lasted for one minute and 58 seconds. Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) reported the ash plume rose 8,202 feet above the mountain’s peak. The CVGHM and other relevant officials have warned people to evacuate from the area and avoid any activities, including hiking, within a 4km radius from the peak of the mountain. The statement said: “Residents who live or have activities near rivers around Mount Agung must watch for the potential cold lava flows that might occur during the rainy season, particularly when the eruption materials remain near the peak. Authorities have maintained the alert level for Mount Agung at level three of the four-tiered national volcano alert system. Where is Mount Agung? Mount Agung is the highest mountain on the island of Bali and the fifth highest volcano in the whole of Indonesia. It is situated 612 miles (984km) from Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta and 11 miles (18km) from Bali’s other volcano, Mount Batur. Bali volcano update: Where is Mount Agung? How many volcanoes are in Indonesia? The volcano is also known as Gunung Agung and is a stratovolcano and the highest point on Bali. The volcano slopes towards the Bali Sea to the north-east and in the south-east there is a row of small extinct volcanic cones. Agung volcano is separated by a narrow valley from Mount Batur and is one of many volcanoes in Indonesia which has few written records, due to the long period of dormancy. How many volcanoes are in Indonesia? Indonesia has around 400 volcanoes and out of these, 127 are active - about a third of all the world’s active volcanoes. Bali volcano update: The eruptions have led to fires at the summit of Mount Agung The country is home to two of the biggest eruptions of modern times, that of Tambora in 1815 and the second-biggest, of Krakatoa in 1883. Mount Agung’s previous eruption in 1963 was the most explosive of the 20th century in Indonesia. Most volcanoes in Indonesia belong to the Sunda Volcanic Arc, stretching over 3,000km from north-west Sumatra to the Banda Sea. Indonesia has the largest number of historically active volcanoes and has suffered the highest number of eruptions producing fatalities, mudflows, tsunamis and pyroclastic flows. Bali volcano update: The volcano burst back to life last week The most striking pictures from Mount Agung's eruption Mon, July 2, 2018 Extraordinary pictures show Bali's Mount Agung erupting again. Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 28 Mount Agung erupts as its lava incubation reaches 2000 meter distance, in Bali<doc-sep>When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox The eruption lasted for about seven minutes and these extraordinary photographs show glowing lava streaming from the crater, setting fire to vegetation. Flares of incandescent lava reached two kilometers from the crater and setting fire to forests at the slope of the volcano. Bali’s Mount Agung has been rumbling since late last year and on Friday there was a temporary closure of the island's international airport, disrupting flights and stranding thousands of travellers. Indonesia's national disaster mitigation agency said residents heard a loud explosion and saw flaming volcanic rocks thrown at least 2 km (1.2 miles) out of the crater. The last time Agung staged a major eruption was in 1963, when more than 1,000 people died and several villages on its slopes were razed.<doc-sep>Bali volcano: Mount Agung spews enormous ash cloud top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Mount Agung erupted for the second time in less than year, grinding Denpasar International Airport to a halt for several hours. Indonesia’s second-busiest airport closed at 3am local time on Friday, reopening just under 12 hours later. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and pictures of the huge numbers of worried passengers holed up in the airport showed the mighty scale of the problem. Is Mount Agung still erupting? Can you travel to Bali now? Sutopo Purwo Nugroho of Bali’s disaster mitigation agency said on Friday seismic activity was still rife deep under the volcano. He said: "Micro tremors are still being detected ... indicating that magma is moving towards the surface.” The current Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) colour code for Bali is orange, meaning emissions are “still continuing”. The ash cloud is estimated to be at approximately 5,142metres above sea level, but this is unlikely to affect passenger airline paths. Denpasar International Airport remains open although passengers are reminded to check regularly for further updates. The most striking pictures from Mount Agung's eruption Mon, July 2, 2018 Extraordinary pictures show Bali's Mount Agung erupting again. Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 28 Mount Agung erupts as its lava incubation reaches 2000 meter distance, in Bali Around 115 international flights and 203 domestic ones were cancelled earlier. But most flight providers including Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia are now operating normal schedules again. Jetstar tweeted earlier: “As conditions in Denpasar have improved and the airport has reopened, our scheduled flights resumed this afternoon.” What does Bali’s Tourist Board say? Bali’s Government Tourism Office said at 7am local time on Friday the “danger zone” was “a small area of radius of approximately 4 kilometers from Mount Agung’s crater”. Bali Volcano: Is Mount Agung still erupting? Can you travel to Bali now? An official statement added: “Tourist visitors in Bali are reminded there is no reason to panic and are advised to stay in their hotel where the hotel management and the relevant government agencies will keep them fully informed on developments. “Those were however scheduled to check out from their hotel on Friday should contact the hotel’s reception as most hotels are providing the best available commercial rate or one night complimentary for those needing to extend their stay.” No other updates have been issued since. Travellers should continue to monitor official updates in case of changes. Some of the active volcanoes, including Mount Agung, and earthquakes in Indonesia right now Denpasar International Airport has reopened<doc-sep>
Bali volcano: Amazing footage of Mount Agung erupting Mount Agung’s summit became a burning fireball on Monday 9pm local time as lava exploded from the crater catapulting fiery rocks as far as 1.2 miles away. The eruption was the third one in recent days and lasted around seven minutes, according to Bali's National Disaster Mitigation Agency. Spokesman Sutopo Nugroho confirmed residents were evacuating the area and a 4km exclusion zone remained in place around the 3,031m high volcano. An eruption on Friday temporarily shut Bali’s international airport and grounded more than 300 flights. Bali is a holidaymakers’ paradise and was visited by 5.5 million tourists in 2017. How long has Mount Agung been erupting for? Mount Agung has been erupting on and off for centuries, although little is known about the elusive mountain. Volcano expert John Seach says a volcanic blast was recorded by botanist Heinrich Zollinger in 1843 but few other written records exist. The most striking pictures from Mount Agung's eruption Mon, July 2, 2018 Extraordinary pictures show Bali's Mount Agung erupting again. Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 28 Mount Agung erupts as its lava incubation reaches 2000 meter distance, in Bali Mr Zollinger wrote of the 1843 eruption: "After having been dormant for a long time, this year the mountain began to be alive again. In the first days of the activity earthquake shocks were felt after which followed the emission of ash, sand and stones.” Mount Agung is a stratovolcano, meaning it is cone-shaped and has a steep ascent. An eruption at the summit in 1963 remains the most deadly one in Indonesia’s history. More than 1,000 people died and whole villages were razed after fast-flowing lava, known as pyroclastic flows, surged down the volcano’s sides. Bali volcano eruption update: How long has Mount Agung been erupting for? The mountain had been quiet in the intervening years but explosions at Mount Agung have begun rocketing over the past few months. The last major eruptions, prior to the last few days, were at the end of 2017. Explosions between November 21 and 29 saw mandatory evacuations of 100,000 people within a 10km radius of Mount Agung. At one point ash plumes reached 3,842 metres (12,605 ft) high and Denpasar International Airport was shut, leaving tourists stranded. Bali volcano eruption update: Evacuated residents at emergency shelters Bali volcano eruption update: Huge plumes of smoke rise from Mount Agung's summit