Anak Krakatau Eruption Strands 150,000 Passengers, Shuts 6 Indonesian Airports
- Anak Krakatau began erupting late Friday, producing lava fountains and continuous seismic activity that spread ash across Java and Sumatra
- Indonesian transport minister Dudy Purwagandhi confirmed 467 flights have been affected, including routes to Singapore, Sydney, Doha and Kuala Lumpur
- Residents near the volcano reported thick ash and eye irritation, with schools cancelling activities and fishermen abandoning trips at sea
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More than 150,000 passengers have been stranded after volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau forced Indonesian authorities to shut down operations at six airports, with hundreds of flights cancelled or disrupted across international routes.
The volcano began erupting late on Friday night, sending up continuous lava fountains, triggering persistent seismic activity, and producing loud booming sounds heard across surrounding areas. Two further eruptions were recorded early on Sunday, authorities confirmed.
Source: Getty Images
Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport became the first to close on Sunday morning after ash was detected in nearby airspace.
According to BBC, Indonesia's transport minister, Dudy Purwagandhi, said the decision to extend closures to more airports followed tests showing that volcanic ash had drifted towards West Java. By that point, 467 flights had already been affected.
Routes and refunds
The transport ministry said the disruptions fell most heavily on flights connecting Indonesia to Singapore, though other international services to Doha, Sydney, and Kuala Lumpur were also hit. Purwagandhi called on airlines to explore diversion options and to speed up ticket refunds for passengers whose flights were cancelled.
He also urged carriers to give timely updates to travellers with upcoming bookings, to prevent crowding at airport terminals.
Indonesia's meteorological agency, BMKG, reported that ash climbed to about 20,000 feet on the Java side east of the volcano, and reached as high as 50,000 feet on the Sumatra side to the west.
Health warnings and local impact
The health minister advised residents in affected areas to remain indoors and wear face masks to guard against risks to their respiratory systems, eyes, and skin. The warning followed reports from local communities of widespread eye irritation caused by falling ash.
According to local newspaper Kompas, several schools cancelled activities on Saturday after students and residents reported eye discomfort, and some fishermen abandoned their sea trips for the same reason.
One resident, Aldi Candra Prayogi, told the outlet that he had been experiencing irritation since Friday evening, saying it felt like "small grains of sand had gotten into my eyes," adding that he needed eye drops to manage the discomfort. He also said the ash was so heavy that he had to sweep the front yard of his house every five minutes.
Authorities confirmed there is no tsunami warning connected to the current activity. The volcano sits in the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra.
History of the volcano
Anak Krakatau, which translates as Child of Krakatoa, emerged from the sea in the early 20th century within the crater left by the catastrophic 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatoa. It has been intermittently active ever since. In December 2018, part of the volcano collapsed into the sea, unleashing a tsunami that killed more than 400 people and injured and displaced thousands along the coastlines of Sumatra and Java.
Scientists later found that some of the rock fragments that slid into the sea during that collapse measured between 70 and 90 metres in height.
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Source: Legit.ng
