Watch: Bali volcano spits ash over 2,000 metres in sky

Thousands of tourists were stranded on Friday as Bali shuttered its international airport following a volcanic eruption on the Indonesian resort island that shot a thick plume of ash and smoke thousands of metres into the sky, officials said.

The early morning closure of Ngurah Rai airport sparked the cancellation of nearly 450 flights to and from the tropical paradise. Mount Agung shot a tower of smoke and ash some over 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) into the sky Thursday evening.