Anak Krakatau volcanic ash caused 7 Indonesian airports to close

Anak Krakatau volcanic ash covered many areas in Indonesia, causing 7 airports to close and about 2,300 flights to be delayed, canceled or diverted.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said 7 airports in Indonesia, including two airports serving Jakarta, will continue to close on September 7 to ensure safety after the Anak Krakatau volcano, located between the islands of Java and Sumatra, erupted on the evening of September 4. Ash has covered Jakarta and many surrounding areas.

Indonesia's Ministry of Transport said more than 270,000 passengers were affected by about 2,300 delayed, diverted or canceled flights. Jakarta's main airport is expected to close until 6:00 p.m. the same day, along with six other airports. Only one airport in South Sumatra has reopened.

"We cannot determine when this situation will end due to complicated weather developments," Mr. Purwagandhi said.

At Soekarno-Hatta airport, passengers constantly searched for flight information on the electronic board, some had to sleep on waiting seats. Carlos Zabala, 24, was on his way back to Spain after vacation when his flight was repeatedly delayed.

"We just wait, then wait again," he said, expressing disappointment at the lack of clear information from the mining unit.

Volcanology expert Surono said strong winds and dry weather are spreading volcanic ash containing sulfur and silica on a large scale, which can be dangerous for aircraft engines, and this eruption is an "unusual phenomenon".

According to the Indonesian volcano monitoring agency, Anak Krakatau last erupted at 8:23 p.m. on September 6, and the possibility of continuing to erupt in the near future remains high. According to the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), volcanic ash flew up to 6,000 m towards Java and 15,000 m towards Sumatra and some areas of Banten province.

The Indonesian Disaster Management Agency recommends that people wear masks when going out; Schools in Jakarta and Lampung switched to online learning to reduce the risk of affecting student health.

Anak Krakatau is one of about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia - a country located on the "Pacific Ring of Fire". This volcano formed about a century ago in the area where Krakatau volcano used to be - which partially destroyed itself during an eruption in 1883, causing a tsunami that killed more than 36,000 people. Another tsunami following the Anak Krakatau eruption in 2018 also killed more than 400 people.