Crisis situation centre at the Bulgarian Embassy in Jakarta and information desk at Bali Airport are ready to assist Bulgarian citizens after Mount Agung volcano eruption
27 November 2017 News
In connection with the eruption of the Mount Agung Volcano on the Island of Bali, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva has ordered the formation of a crisis situation centre at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Indonesia to assist Bulgarian citizens in need of help.
At the same time, an EU Consular Help Desk has been set up on the second floor of Bali International Airport. There, EU Member States’ citizens can get detailed information about the situation and the options for consular protection.
So far, a group of 10 Bulgarian citizens holidaying on the island has contacted the Bulgarian Embassy in Jakarta to report their whereabouts. They are far from the volcano zone and are safe at the hotel where they are staying.
So far, no Bulgarian citizens have approached the EU Help Desk at Bali International Airport for assistance.
The Embassy reported that the Indonesian authorities had declared the highest alert level 4. A restricted zone had been imposed, currently within a radius of 10 km from the volcano’s crater. The I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on the island will be closed to air traffic from 7:15 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time today. Some flights from the nearby Island of Lombok have been delayed.
In connection with the complicated situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises Bulgarian citizens who are planning to travel to the Island of Bali to contact their airline and tour operator in advance. We strongly recommend that our compatriots staying and travelling to the island should exercise caution, avoid the designated restricted zone, enquire in detail about the current situation in advance, monitor the local media coverage, and strictly follow the safety instructions issued by the authorities.
Besides this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bulgarian Embassy in Jakarta call on all Bulgarians who are currently on the Island of Bali to register on the Travel Assistant page of the Ministry’s website, stating a mobile telephone number, e-mail and the full address of their residence on the Island of Bali. The consular authorities will thus be able, if necessary, to provide timely assistance.
We recommend that Bulgarian citizens on the Island of Bali should take the following personal safety measures:
• Make sure that you have enough drinking water and food;
• Procure dust masks;
• Protect your personal documents;
• Contact your tour operator or airline to make sure that in case of evacuation you will be transported to a safe location.
If the volcano erupts, stay indoors and do not open the windows. In case you use contact lenses, wear a pair of corrective spectacles instead because volcanic ash may expose you to a risk of infection.
The crisis situation centre at the Embassy in Jakarta is at the disposal of Bulgarian citizens round the clock. In an emergency and if they need up-to-date information about the situation on the Island of Bali, they can reach our mission in Indonesia by calling + 62 21 390 4048 or the 24-hour emergency hotline, +62 811 932200.