Story highlights Bali's main airport has closed as Mount Agung creates huge ash cloud

Ash cloud reached as high as 9,100 meters (5.6 miles), Australian officials say

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) Authorities have issued the highest-level warning possible after volcanic eruptions from Mount Agung on the Indonesian resort island of Bali forced the closure of the island's main airport and evacuation of thousands of residents living nearby.

Thick ash started shooting thousands of meters into the air above Mount Agung on Saturday, driving east and southeast along the archipelago, forcing more than 29,000 people to evacuate from their homes, the Bali Provincial Board for Disaster Relief said, revising their initial estimate.

At Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali's main airport, flights were canceled for 24 hours from 7:15 a.m. Monday local time (6 p.m. Sunday ET), stranding roughly 59,000 domestic and international passengers, according to the airport's latest report.

"While the sun is shining and there is little sign of volcanic ash in the southern regions of Bali, evidence of volcanic ash at higher altitudes on aviation approach and departure paths has prompted the decision to close the airport," Bali Tourism Board Chairman Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana said in a statement.

Balinese Hindus pray near Mount Agung in hope of preventing a volcanic eruption Saturday.

The National Agency for Disaster Management issued a Level 4 alert on Monday, indicating the potential for another larger eruption and recommending no public activities within 8 to 10 kilometers from the peak.

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