Eruption of the Mt. Agung volcano on Bali strands thousands of travelers

A flight information board shows canceled flights at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia.

Passengers talk to airline workers as their flights are canceled at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia.

Chili plants are covered by volcanic ash at Puragae village on Bali. Indonesian authorities raised the state of alert to its highest level for the volcano, Mt. Agung, after thick ash started shooting thousands of feet into the air with increasing intensity.

Villagers sit on a truck during an evacuation following the eruption of Mt. Agung on Bali. The volcano has erupted for the first time in more than half a century, forcing closure of the Indonesian tourist island’s busy airport as the mountain gushes huge columns of ash that are a threat to airplanes.

Police officers wear masks as they patrol in a village in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia.

A farmer carries grass while Mt. Agung spews heavy volcanic ash in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia.

A fisherman drives a traditional boat as Mt. Agung erupts on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali.