THE airport on the Indonesian resort island of Bali has reopened after an erupting volcano forced its closure.
Spokesman Arie Ahsannurohim said the ash from Mount Agung has drifted south and south-east, leaving clean space above the airport.
Operations had shut down on Monday morning, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of people trying to enter or leave the popular holiday destination. Thick ash particles are hazardous to aircraft and can choke engines.
The danger, however, has not passed. Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo urged anyone still within the exclusion zone near the mountain to get out “for the sake of their safety”.
On Monday, authorities told 100,000 people to leave an area extending up to six miles (10km).
Experts said a larger, explosive eruption is possible or Agung could stay at its current level of activity for weeks. Its last major eruption, in 1963, killed about 1,100 people.
Indonesian officials first raised the highest alert two months ago when a rash of seismic activity was detected at the mountain. More than 100,000 people living near the volcano fled their homes, many abandoning their livestock.
Tremors increased again last week and officials ordered another large-scale evacuation, with nearly 40,000 people now staying in 225 shelters, according to the Disaster Mitigation Agency in Karangasem.
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