Indonesian authorities today closed the airport on the resort island of Bali after the nearby Mount Raung volcano spewed more ash, the fourth time the airport has been closed since the volcano started erupting in June.

Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport after airlines, including from Australia, cancelled flights, local television reported.

Mount Raung has shown increased activity in the past five days, sending thick ash into the sky, said Sutopo Nugroho, spokesperson for the national disaster management agency.

The volcano’s recent activity has prompted the periodic closures of several airports in Bali and East Java to avoid the risk to aircraft from volcanic ash.

- dpa