LEWOTOBI VOLCANO ERUPTION: MALAYSIAN EMBASSY WORKING TO EVACUATE 83 STRANDED MALAYSIANS

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

JAKARTA, 13 Nov (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta is working to evacuate 83 Malaysians stranded in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, following the closure of Komodo International Airport due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano on Flores Island.

The number of those stranded, the majority of whom are tourists, is expected to increase following the cancellation of flights at two other airports in the nearby region — I Gusti Ngurah Rai in Bali and Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara — due to the spread of volcanic ash from the eruption.

Affected Malaysians are urged to follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor the latest updates regarding the reopening of airspace from time to time, the embassy said in a statement.

Officials at the embassy are continuously monitoring the status of stranded Malaysians and contacting those affected to plan alternative routes in cooperation with the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

For consular assistance, Malaysians can contact the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta at the address Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav.X/6, No. 1-3, Kuningan, South Jakarta 12950, by phone at +62 21 522 4947 / +62 813 8081 3036, or by email at mwjakarta@kln.gov.my.

In a related development, a total of 1,668 tourists have been evacuated from Labuan Bajo using 73 ships from Saturday to Tuesday, according to Indonesian Ministry of Transportation spokesperson Budi Rahardjo.

“Of the five ports that serve as destinations, four are located in West Nusa Tenggara: Sape, Labuhan Lombok, Lembar, and Bima, with the fifth port in Benoa, Bali," he said in a statement.

He also stated that Komodo International Airport was closed again this morning, and four other airports in the region remain closed.

Several flights on the Jakarta-Bali, Jakarta-Lombok, and Bali-Australia routes have also been cancelled due to safety concerns, he added.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported that the volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Lewotobi has spread as far as Lombok Island in West Nusa Tenggara.

“The volcanic ash is moving towards the west and southwest," said Bastian Andriano, head of data analysis at BMKG West Nusa Tenggara, as quoted by the Antara news agency.

The eruption of Mount Lewotobi claimed at least 10 lives on November 4, prompting authorities to raise the volcanic activity warning to the highest level, Level IV.

-- BERNAMA