Indonesia warns of cold lava floods from volcano eruption in Bali

Indonesia's national disaster agency warned on Monday that cold lava floods could occur amid Mount Agung volcano eruption in Bali Island.

Local residents are asked to stay away from rivers whose upstream located in the slope of the volcano which strongly erupted on Sunday, spokesman of national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

"As Bali has entered wet season, watch out for cold lava floods. Do not have activities in the areas near rivers," he told a press briefing.

In anticipation of the expiry of foreign tourists' permit to stay in the country after the closure of the main airport in the island, immigration office will give exit pass to them which will be effective for one week, said Arie Ahsanurrhim, communication and legal section head of international airport Ngurah Rai in Bali.

"We give them exit pass which will be effective for a week, then they can process for extension for one month at the immigration office," he was quoted by the local media as saying.

Meanwhile, a total of 89,000 passengers have been stranded in Bali as volcano eruption forced shutdown of the Ngurah Rai airport on the island.

A total of 445 flights have been canceled as volcanic ash has covered the flight path over the resort island, director of air transport of Transport Ministry Maria Kristi Endah Murni said on Monday.

"It is assumed that each flight carries about 200 passengers," she told a press conference.

Some 200,000 foreign holiday-makers come to Bali every month, according to data from the national statistics bureau.

Source: Xinhua