REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUTA -- Australian airline Virgin Airlines cancelled flights on Saturday to Bali from a number of cities in that country on fear of problems cause by volcanic ashes spewed by Mount Raung in East Java.
On Thursday night , another Australian airline, Jetstar, already cancelled six scheduled flights to Bali for the same reason, but on Friday it resumed normal flight to Bali.
The 3.332 meters volcano in the district of Bondowoso, has shown activities lately with explosions sending black volcanic ashes soaring to the air over wide area including part of Bali.
Trikora Harjo, General Manager of state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I Bandara I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Bali, said, Virgin Airlines cancelled flights from a number of cities in Australia on Saturday.
"The airline cancelled seven flights to Bali from Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Cairns and from Singapore, today," Trikora said here on Saturday.
He said there has been no domestic flight cancelled to Bali, but most aircraft made a detour more to the north or more to the south at a height of around 22,400 feet from the sea level to be away from the volcanic ashes.
"We are told by Garuda Indonesia, they could evade the ashes by making a detour to the north or south flying high at 22,400 feet," he said.
Meanwhile people in the district of Bondowoso continued their normal activities despite the explosions, but they been warned to remain on the alert.
"The people continue their normal activities but we have asked them to remain on the alert and ready for evacuation any time," Pratikno, the Sumber Wringin sub-district chief said.
The Legan village of 390 people in the sub-district of Sumber Waringin, is the closest to the angry volcano, 10 kilometers from the crater.
Pratikno said the villagers mostly coffee and vegetable growers continue to tend their crops until instruction come from the disaster control agency.
"We have organized team of volunteers to lead the villagers if the condition is worse that need immediate evacuation of the people," he said.
The volunteers are given telecommunication devices for communications, he said, adding around 1,000 people night need to be evacuated from the sub-district.
He said there are also livestock including 305 goats and 172 cows to be herded away to a safe area.
He said 80 motorcycles and nine cars owned by the local people and more vehicles from the district administration have been made ready for the evacuation.
He was worried, however, that the main road that links that district and other areas has been badly battered.
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