A second eruption in less than a week of the Mount Agung volcano in Bali has intensified the watch for a more serious explosion. The volcano rumbled into life with a series of eruptions that temporarily disrupted some international flights to the popular Indonesian island tourist destination.

Mount Agung erupted on Saturday evening and three times early Sunday, lighting its cone with an orange glow and sending ash 4,000 metres into the atmosphere. The ash clouds have been moving toward the neighbouring island of Lombok, a direction that is away from Bali’s airport, where nearly all scheduled domestic and international flights were continuing on Sunday.

An exclusion zone extending up to 7.5km from the crater remains in place, following the evacuation of more than 185,000 people after an eruption in September, and authorities have warned anyone remaining within it to leave the area. About 25,000 to 30,000 people are reportedly still unable to return home. There had been some effect on with flights from airlines including Virgin Australia, Qantas, KLM and Jetstar were affected although many either continued their services or resumed them after a pause. Travellers were advised to check with their carrier.(theguardian)…[+]