Bali volcano will most likely erupt again and cause further danger in the surrounding area, predicted a volcano expert, speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk.
This could lead to airport closures if the ash from the volcano puts aeroplanes flying overhead in danger, he said.
“Although ash emission at Agung has paused, there is still a lot of seismic activity at the volcano suggesting that upward migration of magma and gas is continuing,” commented David Rotary, professor of planetary geosciences at The Open University.
“Further eruptions are likely, and people nearby should stay clear of the approximately 10 km evacuation zone.”
If the worst occurs, we could be expecting “heavy ash fall and pyroclastic flows sweeping down the mountainside, followed by mudflows (lahars) when it rains on the new ash,” he continued.
A pyroclastic flow is just as terrifying as it sounds – the terrifying geographical phenomenon occurs “when hot ash sweeps downhill at about 70 mph”.
“They can be triggered by collapse of an eruption column. They are extremely dangerous, because people cannot survive them or outrun them, and they are the main reason for the extent of the evacuation zone.”
He added that a “super volcano” was, however, not possible as the volcano’s magma chamber is too small for it to occur.
Is it safe to travel to Bali?
Tourists who have booked a trip to Bali are currently facing a dilemma over wether they should proceed with their holiday.
Professor Rotary said tourists currently in Bali should consider themselves “safe” if they are outside of the 10km evacuation area.
“The main tourist beach resorts and airport are well outside the evacuation zone, and people there are safe.”
However, he maintained that the airport could be closed again because of further eruptions.
“Renewed ash emissions could require the airport to be closed again, especially if the wind carried the airborne ash overhead.”
“Travellers should check their insurance, because some policies will not cover the costs of any delays if you have travelled into an area where there is a known likelihood of travel disruption because of an ongoing volcanic eruption.”
Yesterday, Jetstar airlines issued a warning to passengers stranded at Bali airport due to the volcano.
They said flying conditions were currently clear, but to not manually rebook their flights and rather wait to receive an email or SMS with rebooking details.
