When Sushma Swaraj has to consult a volcano in Indonesia

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, known for keeping in touch with people over Twitter, had everyone in splits when she said she will need to consult a volcano in Indonesia in response to an Indian's query asking if the government has any advisory for tourists visiting the Southeast Asian nation.

"I will have to consult the volcano there," Sushma Swaraj said late on Wednesday night in response to a tweet by one Sushil Rai.

In his tweet, Rai said: "is it safe to travel bali (sic). We have a bali (sic) trip on 11.08.18 to 17.08.18. Is it safe? Is their (a)ny advisory has been issued by our govt. Kindly guide us soon."

Mount Agung in Indonesia's Bali island, a popular tourist destination for Indians, erupted on July 3.

Since June 28, Indonesia's Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said the eruption had lasted under two minutes, with the plume has recorded increased volcanic activity from the mountain, which has erupted several times with different intensities since late last year.

The eruption of Agung led to the closure of three airports, including the one in Bali, affecting 446 flights and stranded more than 74,000 passengers.

The Indonesian archipelago is located on the so-called Ring of Fire in the Pacific, an area of great seismic and volcanic activity, that records thousands of mostly small to moderate tremors every year.

--IANS

ab/pgh/