When can the stranded citizens in Bali be evacuated at the earliest?

According to news on November 30, affected by the volcanic eruption, Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia was temporarily closed, leaving 17,000 Chinese tourists stranded. Chen Wei, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Denpasar, said that starting from the evening of the 29th, the Consulate General has successively coordinated flights to Bali with China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and China Southern Airlines. Since the airport reopened on the 29th, more than 1,000 Chinese citizens have been evacuated. As long as the airport is not closed, all stranded citizens can be evacuated within 3 to 5 days at the earliest.

"Come with an empty plane, leave with a full plane"

Ngurah Rai International Airport will be temporarily opened at around 3 pm on the 29th. On the 30th, the weather in Bali was good. There was moderate rain in the morning, and then it gradually became clear.

Since the volcanic eruption, the Chinese Consulate General in Denpasar has launched an emergency response plan, set up a Chinese Tourist Information Center at the airport, and coordinated the "empty flights" of China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, and China Southern Airlines for several days from now on. Come, let the plane go” to transport Chinese tourists back home safely as soon as possible.

At Ngurah Rai International Airport, a female tourist told Xinhua News Agency that she arrived in Bali on the 23rd and was stranded on the island when a volcano erupted.

"Our motherland coordinated the airlines to allow us to fly back to China today. We are very excited and happy. There are dozens of us. We will fly back to Xiamen at about two o'clock in the afternoon."

This tourist said: "There are still some of us who can't go back, but the food and accommodation here are very well arranged, and then we changed our tickets one after another and went back. I am very grateful to the motherland and my relatives!"

According to statistics from the Consulate General, the number of Chinese tourists in Bali is currently around 17,000. Relevant people from the Consulate General said that more than 1,000 tourists have been evacuated. It will take a process for all tourists to evacuate. I hope everyone can be patient.

Tourists: Hope to return home safely

Xinhua News Agency reporters saw at the airport that there are currently many people at the airport, but it is relatively orderly. Tourists at the international departure gate are queuing up in an orderly manner, waiting to exit customs. , no chaos occurred, and the staff of the Consulate General tried their best to calm the tourists' emotions.

The Consulate General said that when the Bali volcano erupted suddenly, the Consulate General immediately activated the emergency mechanism and was on duty 24 hours a day. It contacted the local government and learned about the situation as soon as possible. The official website released information advising Chinese tourists not to travel to Bali in the near future and to contact the airline for coordination.

Since the closure of the airport, the Chinese Consulate General in Denpasar has instructed relevant airlines and relevant travel agencies to properly accommodate stranded Chinese tourists, and arrange for them to take flights back home from other cities or arrange accommodation for them according to the tourists' intentions. .

The Consulate General suggested that consular protection is not a panacea. The airport is currently open. The Consulate General has contacted domestic airlines to arrange additional flights. It is also coordinating with the Immigration Bureau on the issue of stranded tourists and doing its best to protect China. The personal safety of citizens, including compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, requires travel agencies to protect the safety of tourists, fulfill their main responsibilities, actively take care of independent tourists, and do everything possible to protect tourists. However, tourists are also expected to stay calm, avoid excessive behavior, and pay attention to the image of tourists.

Mr. Zhou from Luoyang, Henan, successfully bought a ticket from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Manado on the morning of the 30th. If all goes well, he will arrive at Shanghai International Airport in the early morning of December 1st. "My biggest wish now is to return home safely as soon as possible."

Travel agencies and Chinese-funded companies are assisting

Thousand Islands International Travel Agency in Indonesia, which is responsible for receiving Chinese tourists, has successively transferred 30 passengers since the 27th. Many Chinese tourists like Mr. Zhou.

Wang Rui, general manager of Qiandao International Travel Service, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters that due to the closure of the airport, it is a common practice for Chinese tourists to go to Surabaya, the capital of East Java, and then return directly from Surabaya or transfer to leave the country.

In addition to travel agencies, some Chinese companies are also providing assistance for disaster relief.

Qi Yue, general manager of Huadian Bali Power Plant, said that when the volcano eruption was warned one month ago, the power plant donated materials including tents and bedding to evacuated residents near the volcano. And actively prepare to participate in the rescue of trapped compatriots.

The warning level is lowered, but caution is still required

Due to the change in wind direction, the ash erupted by Mount Agung began to spread to the south and southeast. Due to the reduced impact of volcanic ash on the airport, the aviation warning level of Ngurah Rai International Airport has been lowered from the highest level red to orange.

Indonesia’s Antara News Agency quoted local officials as saying that although the warning level was lowered, there was still volcanic ash in the clouds and caution was still needed.

The Indonesian Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center raised the alert level of Mount Agung to the highest level on the 27th. At present, the 10 kilometers around the crater have been designated as a dangerous area, and about 100,000 residents of 22 villages in the area must be evacuated.

Mount Agung is located in the northeast of Bali, a tourist resort in Indonesia, with an altitude of 3,031 meters. It is one of the 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Mount Agung erupted violently in 1963, and the eruption continued into the next year, killing more than 1,000 people.