Bali, still not quiet with the volcano

No need to panic, but the volcano on Mount Agung is once again making a name for itself. After the political crisis in the Maldives, it would be another blow to the professionals in Bali.

A new eruption took place on February 13,2009.

While Indonesia had lowered the alert status for the area around Mount Agung in Bali, the volcano again scolded. Social media showed the extent of the recent eruption, with a 1.5 kilometer ash column coming out of the crater. The fallen ashes were light and not disruptive to daily activities, reports the Indonesian newspaper « Jakarta Post ».

No flight cancellation to report

A detector has now been installed on Mount Agung so that scientists can receive early warning of an impending eruption. Furthermore, no airline has yet announced any cancellation or redirection for flights to and from Bali.

Controlled situation

The Indonesian authorities are observing the situation as Mount Agung continues to spit ashes. Mixing fine ash and rock particles can cause serious problems with aircraft engines.

The authorities had lowered the alert level

The decision to lower the status of Mount Agung was made a few days ago. Several scientific indicators had shown a drastic decrease in volcanic activity during the month of January.

This decision had allowed 140,000 people living on the slopes of the volcano to return home. They had to leave their home and work in November last year.

It is necessary to reassure the Chinese tourists

The island of Bali is preparing to welcome Chinese tourists for the lunar New Year festivities. The Chinese Consulate General in Denpasar urged Chinese tourists travelling to Bali to be cautious when planning their trip.

However, Bali Governor Manggku Pastika quickly countered these assertions and insisted that the Chinese consulate reassure visitors.

Serge Fabre