Indonesia has closed three airports Wednesday, including the main airport in Bali, after Mount Rinjani erupted in volcanic activity.

Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Selaparang Airport in Lombok, and Blimbingsari Airport in Banyuwangi, East Java were closed after  volcanic ash from the eruption had spread throughout the region. The Bali airport, which was closed on Tuesday, forced the cancellation of nearly 700 flights, stranding some 6,000 passengers. It is scheduled to reopen Thursday morning.

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Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) declared a Level 2 alert for Mt. Rinjani following intensified volcanic activity on Wednesday. Mt Barujari, which is located inside the caldera of Mt. Rinjani, continues to spill volcanic ash that is spreading to west and southwest.

The eruption began late Tuesday and spewed ash and debris more than 11,000 feet into the air, according to the BNPB. It left a coat of ash on nearby villages and farms.

Many passengers seeking alternative ways to complete their travel plans went to Juanda airport in Surabaya in East Java, which is still open. Airport authorities provided the stranded passengers a transfer service to Terminal Ubung, the departure point in Denpasar for inter-region buses, and gave instructions on how to rent cars to drive to Surabaya. 

According to the The United States Geological Survey (USGS),  since 1944, volcanic ash has caused about 40 airports worldwide to close for as short as one hour to as long as three weeks. The majority of closures have occurred since 1980.

The USGS says that ash falling on airports will affect runways, taxiways, buildings, ground services, electrical utilities, communications, and parked airplanes.  Also, electronically-activated badges used to gain entry to restricted areas may fail to work if the badges become severely abraded by ash.

Between 1973 and 2000, some 100 encounters of aircraft with airborne volcanic ash have been documented, according to a 2002 USGS report. Airplane engine failures have occurred between 150 to 600 miles from the volcanic sources.

Tagsvolcanic eruption, Closes Indonesian Airports, Strands Thousands, Bali, Mount Rinjani, Ngurah Rai International Airport, Selaparang, Blimbingsari, Banyuwangi, Java, National Disaster Mitigation Agency, BNPB