Bali Airport remains closed

Indonesian authorities say Bali's international airport will remain closed through Wednesday
morning due to volcanic ash from nearby Mount Agung. More than 440 domestic and
international flights have been cancelled.

Volcanic activity has continued on the 3,000-meter-high mountain in the northeastern part of
Bali Island since it erupted last Tuesday for the first time in 54 years.

Disaster management officials say pillars of smoke and ash have been billowing up to 3,000
meters above the crater. They say frequent tremors have also been recorded.

Officials at the airport on the outskirts of Denpasar say nearly 60,000 passengers have been
affected by the cancellation of 443 domestic and international flights. These include direct
services between Bali and Japan.

Crowds of people continued to visit the airport on Tuesday to check for information on their
flights.

Looking fatigued, 2 Japanese passengers told NHK that they had initially been scheduled to
return to Japan on Tuesday, but couldn't. They say they now plan to travel by ferry to Surabaya
in Java Island and take a flight back to Japan from there.

Continued volcanic activity could have a major impact on tourism, the island's primary
industry, which usually kicks into high gear in December.