REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KARANGASEM -- Mount Agung erupted again on Sunday at 10:05 a.m. local time, causing ash rain in several villages located within the danger zone, but most parts of Bali remain safe and unaffected.

The ash rain affected Tulamben and Banjar villages, northeast of the volcano and within the radius of 8 to 10 km from the crater of the mountain located in Karangasem District, Devy Kamil Syahbana, an official of the Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG), said here, Sunday.

Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport operates normally as it is located more than 75 km from the volcano and not affected by the volcanic ash.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Vice President M Jusuf Kalla on Friday (Dec 22) chaired a limited cabinet meeting in Bali to assure the world on the safety of Bali and its readiness to receive as many tourists as possible.

Following the meeting, the government also declared that it had revoked an emergency status of Mount Agung.

The government opined that the emergency status had scared many foreign countries, prompting them to issue a travel warning, travel advisory, or even travel ban, which are unnecessary because most parts of Bali remain safe and unaffected by the eruptions.

Jokowi instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister and Tourism Ministry to inform foreign ambassadors and travel agents that most of Bali's famous tourist destinations were located far from the danger zone of the active volcano and hence, the mount posed no danger to tourists.

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika explained that the emergency status declared by the Bali Administration earlier was meant for domestic administrative purpose in order to speed up the disbursement of emergency funds allocated for the active volcano's evacuees.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika