Seven airports still closed in Indonesia after volcano eruption

Seven international airports and an airstrip on Indonesia’s main island of Java were still shut on Saturday following the volcanic eruption of Mount Kelud, an official said.

“The volcano ceased spewing ash and rock but airports are still blanketed by volcanic ash and air transport operations remain grounded,” spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

He said airport operators were still cleaning up their facilities while waiting for results of evaluations by authorities before they could resume normal activities.

Authorities declared a 10-kilometre radius exclusion zone and thousands of villagers were still sheltered in evacuation centres on the eastern side of the island.

The volcano has stopped erupting but white smoke was still billowing up to 3 kilometres high from its crater.

“It is showing signs of decreasing volcanic activities,” Mr. Nugroho said.

The two airports in the capital Jakarta were still open, as well as the one on the resort island of Bali, officials said.