Obama cuts short Indonesian visit due to Merapi ash

The ongoing eruption of Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta forced US President Barack Obama to cut short his whirlwind Indonesian visit on Wednesday and depart several hours ahead of schedule.

After speaking to students at the University of Indonesia, Obama directly went to Halim Perdanakusuma Airport and left for Seoul, South Korea.

Obama cancelled a planned visit with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Kalibata Heroes Cemetery to commemorate National Heroes Day.

Mt. Merapi has spewed massive clouds of ash and gas for more than two weeks, killing over 150 people, causing travel chaos and forcing the intermittent closure nearby Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta.

Soekarno–Hatta International Airport operations chief Syaiful Bahri told the Associated Press that ash concerns also led several international carriers to again cancel flights into and out of the Jakarta, including Cathay Pacific, Value Air, Qantas and Malaysia Air.

Cathay Pacific Airways said in a statement on Wednesday that that its flights to and from Jakarta might be affected by volcanic ash and cancelled four flights between Jakarta and Hong Kong on Wednesday..(theJakartapost)

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