Flights were cancelled at an airport after Mount Lewotobi erupted in Indonesia.

Footage shows hundreds of tourists stranded at the Komodo International Airport in West Manggarai Regency as volcanic ash created dangerous flying conditions on July 7 evening.

Ceppy Triono, head of the Komodo Labuan Bajo Airport Organising Unit, said a notice to airmen (NOTAM) had been issued regarding the airport's temporary closure.

He said: 'Komodo Airport is closed an Airport Closure NOTAM at 18.00 WITA until tomorrow morning at 07.00 WITA.'

Airport operations were resumed today, July 8, as a paper test found the air negative for volcanic ash.

Mount Lewotobi had spewed a thick cloud of ash rising more than 60,000ft into the sky in East Nusa Tenggara Province.

A monitoring post officer said: 'Visually, the ash column was observed to be grey to black in colour with thick intensity. It was leaning towards the North, Northeast and Northwest.'

The eruption was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 47.3 millimetres and a duration of approximately 26 seconds.

Officials also reported a loud booming sound accompanying the blast.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki is currently designated Alert Level IV, the highest level on the national volcanic alert system, indicating ongoing hazardous volcanic activity.

Lewotobi has two twin craters - Lewotobi Laki-laki and Lewotobi Perempuan - and has shown increased activity since 2023.

It is located on Flores Island, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for its high seismic and volcanic activity due to the movement of tectonic plates.