Garuda Cancels Flights Following West Nusa Tenggara's Volcanic Eruption

Denpasar, Bali (Antara) - The national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia cancels flight from Denpasar to five destinations in east Indonesia following the eruption of Mount Sangeang Api in Bima district, West Nusatenggara, Communication Officer of Bali'S I Gusti Ngurah Rai international airport Sherly Yunita said here on Sunday. "Considering the current situation in West Nusa Tenggara, Garuda Indonesia has canceled five flights namely from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo, Denpasar to Lombok, Denpasar to Kupang, Denpasar to Tambolaka and Denpasar to Bima," Sherly said. Earlier the Ngurah Rai airport had received several notifications on flight cancellation due to the volcanic eruption namely Jetstar airline from Darwin to Denpasar, Garuda Indonesia airline from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo, Garuda Indonesia from Denpasar to Bima and two flights from Debpasar to Kupang. Mount Sangeang Api in Bima District, West Nusa Tenggara, erupted last Friday at 3:55 p.m. local time spewing plumes of ash and smoke 3,000 meters westbound into the air. Chief of Information and Data Center of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that due to the eruption the Geology Disaster Mitigation and Volcanology Center (PVMBG) had raised the Mount Sangeang Api's status from alert level II (Waspada) to alert III (Siaga) at 4 p.m. local time. The volcano is located at Sangeang Api island, which has no permanent residents, Nugroho said. "Residents of inland Sangeang own plantations in the island, so that during the eruption they were working on the plantations and had to be evacuated by Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) of Bima. The SAR team, military personnel and police officers used boats," Nugroho added. Residents were evacuated to the mainland Sangeang village in Wera subdistrict of Bima district, six kilometers away from the volcano. BPBD had distributed logistical supplies to the village, and there was no report of any casualty due to the eruption. (*) Reporting by Wira Suryantala Translating and Editing by Amie Fenia Arimbi