Airlines ground Bali flights after volcano erupts
Airlines cancelled flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Wednesday, leaving travelers stranded after a nearby volcano catapulted an ash tower miles into the sky.
At least 16 international routes were affected after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores island spewed a nine-kilometer (5.6-mile) tower a day earlier, the general manager of Bali's international airport said in a statement.
Flights from Singapore, Hong Kong, Qatar, India, Australia, Malaysia, China's Pudong and South Korea's Incheon were all either delayed or grounded, Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said Wednesday.
Animal clinic worker Samsudin, 52, from Indonesia's main island was transiting in Bali to Malaysia and forced to spend the night at the airport.
"I'm sleeping here rather than going back to Java. It is far," he told AFP.
"I'm waiting here, until tomorrow," he added, saying he bought a new flight after his AirAsia ticket was refunded.
Australia's Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia all grounded flights, while Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, India's IndiGo and Singapore's Scoot also listed flights as cancelled on Wednesday, an AFP journalist at Bali's airport said.
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