Mount Anak Krakatau Eruption Disrupts Flights Across Western Indonesia

Plumes rise from Mount Anak Krakatau as it erupts in the Java Strait, Indonesia on Sunday. Photo credit: AP

Indonesia suspended hundreds of flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday after Mount Anak Krakatau erupted, sending volcanic ash across parts of western Indonesia. The disruption affected 209 flights, including several international services, according to Indonesia’s transportation ministry. Indonesia’s Geological Agency said the volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, had shown increased activity on Saturday before erupting for about 30 seconds at 3:53am on Sunday. “Due to increased activity from the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has temporarily suspended flight operations from 5:30 am to 9.30 am,” the airport said in an early Sunday travel advisory. The suspension was later extended from an earlier scheduled reopening at 5:30am because of volcanic ash, the transportation ministry said. Passengers at the country’s busiest airport sought refunds and reclaimed checked baggage as cancellation notices appeared on departure boards, according to AP. Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said volcanic ash had spread across parts of Jakarta and Lampung province on the southern tip of Sumatra. The meteorological agency BMKG said satellite observations showed ash reaching 20,000 feet (6,000 metres) on the Java side of the volcano, while another plume rose as high as 50,000 feet (15,000 metres) on the Sumatra side and over parts of Banten province. Two ash clouds were identified using satellite imagery. One plume was moving northeast, affecting areas including Jakarta, Banten and West Java, while the second was moving west and northwest over Lampung, Bengkulu, the southern Sunda Strait and parts of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra. There were no reports of casualties and no evacuation order was issued. The nearest settlement is more than 16 kilometres from the volcano. Authorities, however, warned residents and visitors to remain at least 3 kilometres from the active crater. Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, BNPB, “urges the public to remain calm while increasing vigilance.” Spokesperson Berton Panjaitan also told Reuters that people should wear masks and eye protection during ashfall, reduce outdoor activity, cover water sources and take care while driving because volcanic ash can reduce visibility. Several schools cancelled activities on Saturday after students and residents reported eye irritation, while fishermen suspended trips, local media outlet Kompas reported. Authorities said there was no imminent tsunami risk. Anak Krakatau’s 2018 eruption caused a tsunami that killed at least 430 people on Java and Sumatra.