Vice President Hamid Ansari's departure from Indonesia to Brunei was today delayed by a day after spewing of ash from a rumbling volcano forced closure of the airport here till tomorrow.
The special flight by which the Vice President was to leave for Brunei at 1.45 pm local time here was cancelled after the closure of the Bali International Airport due to volcanic eruptions in the Mount Barujari, officials said.
They said the local authorities had informed them that all flights have been cancelled till 8.45 AM tomorrow.
A meeting will be held in the evening by Bali authorities to assess the situation, after which the future plans would be prepared, they said.
Asked about the Vice President's visit to Brunei, an official said "as of now it stands."
He said that Ansari will leave for Brunei as quickly as possible whenever the situation allows it.
Ansari was to leave for Brunei, the first ever Vice Presidential visit to that country, on Wednesday afternoon, where he was to meet Sultan Hassanal Bolkaiah and the crown prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah.
The Vice President had arrived in Indonesia on November 1 and after two days in Jakarta he arrived in Bali yesterday.
In Bali, Ansari today visited the famous Tanah Lot Temple and addressed students of the University of Udayana, after which he was scheduled for Brunei.
