Volcano leaves tourists stranded at Indonesia airports

Thousands of tourists are stranded on three Indonesian islands after ash from the Mount Rinjani volcano forced the closure of three airports, and blanketed villages and farmlands.

Mount Rinjani on Lombok Island, which began erupting earlier this week, blasted ash and debris 3,500 metres into the air on Wednesday said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman.

The closure of the airports affected a total of 692 international and domestic flights, which were either cancelled or delayed, the ministry said.

Indonesia will extend Tuesday's closure of Ngurah Rai International Airport on the popular Bali resort island to Thursday, an official said.

Airlines were told to avoid routes near the mountain and a decision about reopening the airports will be made early on Thursday, said ministry spokesman Julius Barata.

Volcanic ash is seen during an eruption inside the crater of Mount Rinjani on the Indonesian island of Lombok. [Lalu Edi/Antara Foto/Reuters]

Indonesian authorities closed the international airport on the resort island of Bali because of ash from the nearby volcanic eruption. [Made Nagi/EPA]

The Ngurah Rai airport will not reopen until at least Thursday as ash from Mount Rinjani was deemed a threat to flight safety, said Transport Ministry spokesman Julius Barata. [Made Nagi/EPA]

The ash spewing from the rumbling volcano in eastern Indonesia blanketed villages with thick ash, stranding thousands of tourists in Bali. [Firdia Lisnawati/AP]

A man sleeps on the floor of Bali's Ngurah Rai airport after his flight was cancelled. [Nyoman Budhiana/Antara Foto/Reuters]

Two small airports in Banyuwangi on Java Island and Lombok were also closed. [Made Nagi/EPA]

Passengers spend their time at a waiting room at the Ngurah Rai airport. [Nyoman Budhiana/Antara Foto/Reuters]

Airport staff cover a plane's engine with protective film as it is parked at the Ngurah Rai airport. [Made Nagi/EPA]

Mount Rinjani has been spewing ash since the start of the week, but authorities said the volcano''s alert level remained one notch above normal. Residents have been warned to stay away from a 3km exclusion zone. [Made Nagi/EPA]