JAKARTA — Twenty four Vietnamese, part of nine travelling groups, are stranded in Bali due to the closure of Depansar International Airport due to Mount Agung erupting, the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia said.

The embassy said these groups, mainly comprising families, called the embassy hotline for support. They were instructed to travel by car to Surabaya City, the nearest location with an airport from where flights were allowed to depart.

On Monday, a group of seven other Vietnamese tourists who were also stranded in Bali called the embassy. They were directed to travel from the western island of Bali to Surabaya City by ferry and then take a flight to Jakarta, the embassy said, adding that the tourists safely arrived in Jakarta on Monday evening. 

The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia has issued a travel warning for Vietnamese tourists who plan to visit the resort island of Bali as the Indonesian authority has raised the alert for Mount Agung’s eruption to the highest level. In case of urgent support, Vietnamese citizens can contact the embassy on its hotline +62811161025. 

According to the Indonesian government, tourists stranded in Bali will be offered one night free stay at a hotel.

Tourists in need of support to leave Bali can contact local tour guide Pak Nyoman at +6285792640918 or +6281338643014, or the Gunung Agung Volcano Crisis Centre at the airport on 081321100319 or hotline 0361 935 1011, ext 5055; or Airport Information on 172.

Thousands of tourists are stuck in Bali as many flights have been cancelled following the volcano’s eruption. 

A report from local aviation navigation authorities showed that "aircraft flight channels are covered with volcanic ash", Indonesia’s transportation ministry said. Denpansar airport, about 60km from the volcano, will be closed until 7 am local time on Wednesday, it said. 

Ten alternative airports have been prepared for airlines to divert inbound flights, including in neighbouring provinces. Agung rises majestically over eastern Bali to a height of just over 3,000 metres. 

On Monday, authorities ordered 100,000 residents living near the volcano to evacuate immediately, warning that the first major eruption in 54 years could be "imminent".

An 8-10km exclusion zone has been imposed around the summit. Agung’s last eruption in 1963 killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages by hurling out pyroclastic material, hot ash, lava and lahar.

The mount experienced unprecedented levels of seismic activity in September, resulting in the evacuation of 140,000 local residents. 

Mount Agung is one of more than 120 active volcanoes extending the length of Indonesia, which straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire. — VNS