KUCHING: The atmosphere at the Kuching International Airport (KIA) as of 12pm Thursday (April 18) was one of confused faces as passengers were greeted with a blipping red ‘cancelled’ displayed on the flight information board.
This is due to Mount Ruang, a stratovolcano situated in North Sulawesi Province, initially erupted at 9.45pm on Tuesday and experienced four subsequent eruptions throughout Wednesday spewing columns of smoke more than a mile into the sky deterring any flights.
The occurrence has left families like Juliana Jering’s, who came to Borneo Medical Centre (BMC) for her husband’s treatment for lymphoma cancer, stranded here.
“We had plans to return to Bintulu today and admit my husband to Bintulu Hospital this afternoon for a follow-up treatment. However, amid our preparations for the trip to KIA, we were preoccupied and uncertain if we received any notifications or emails about the cancellation.
“Upon reaching the airport, our disappointment was palpable upon discovering that our flight back to Bintulu had been cancelled due to this unforeseen circumstance.
“Nevertheless, we harbour no ill will towards the flight staff; they managed the situation admirably. This entire predicament arose due to the natural disaster,” Juliana remarked.
She added that they can reimburse their expenses within a 30-day period with the airline company that cancelled their flight and for now are planning their extension in Kuching.
Meanwhile, Jacintha Jolene, who was on work assignment in Bintulu, recounted her experience after already boarding her plane that was bound back to Kuching.
“I was on board the Bintulu-Kuching flight. Initially I thought the route would not be affected as we are flying within the state but we were only notified of the delay and cancellation when we already boarded the flight.
“Only after waiting for a directive from the Air Traffic Control Centre, Civil Aviation Authority Of Malaysia(CAAM) for about half an hour, were we notified of the cancellation.”
Naturally, she added, passengers were feeling frustrated and anxious, unable to reach their destination today and uncertain about the possibility of flying again tomorrow (Friday).
“Nevertheless, credit should be given to the captain for continuously ensuring our safety despite the cancellation.”
Earlier, Indonesian authorities issued a tsunami warning and elevated the alert level for Mount Ruang to its highest point.
Head of the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), Hendra Gunawan, stated that authorities are advising residents in the coastal regions of neighbouring Tagulandang island to stay vigilant for possible tidal surges or tsunamis.
These events could be triggered by rockfalls from the volcano, potentially leading to collapses into the sea.
