A volcanic eruption on the Indonesian island of Bali has resulted in the cancellation of some flights overnight, Reuters reports. Bali, famous for its surf, beaches and temples, attracts around 5 million visitors a year. The eruption of Mount Agung on Friday lasted for four minutes and 30 seconds, the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) said, spraying lava and rock showers over a 2.5 to 3 kilometer radius (1.6 to 1.9 miles).
Ash fell over dozens of villages, but no casualties were reported and no evacuations took place, according to Reuters. Some flights were canceled to and from Australia after the eruption, but normal operations have since resumed. Mount Agung, which stands at 3,031 metres (9944 feets) tall, has now erupted three times in May with six days between each eruption, according to the BNPB.
The volcano's alert level remains at level three—the second-highest level—and a 4 kilometer exclusion zone has been established. Nearby settlements are not at risk, the BNPB said. People are warned that they should not get close to the spot and some visitors were asked to change their plans. Photographs of Agung overnight showed an ash column and glowing lava in the crater of the volcano, which rises over eastern Bali at a height of just over 3,000 metres.
In 2017, authorities raised Mount Agung's alert level to four, the highest possible level, after an eruption cast an ash cloud as high as 9,100 meters (5.6 miles) over the island. 29,000 nearby residents were evacuated from their homes. A major eruption in 1963 killed more than 1,700 people and destroyed a series of villages.
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