Indonesia's Anak Krakatau eruption grounds 1,500 flights, leaves 170,000 passengers stranded
Volcanic ash shuts major airports as Anak Krakatau eruption halts travel
Anak Krakatau erupted repeatedly, with two significant eruptions early Sunday. One lasted about 30 seconds at 3:53 am, followed roughly three hours later by another eruption lasting about 16 seconds.
The volcano had shown increasing activity since Friday, Sept. 4. Indonesian authorities described the latest eruption as the strongest phase of its current activity.
Ash clouds rose as high as 50,000 feet (about 15,000 metres), putting aircraft at risk and prompting aviation authorities to suspend operations.
Ash spread toward Jakarta, western Java and Lampung province on Sumatra, depending on wind direction.
JAKARTA: Over 1,500 flights have been grounded across eight Indonesian airports, stranding roughly 170,000 passengers after Mount Anak Krakatau unleashed heavy volcanic ash clouds that also disrupted local education and fishing activities.
The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation ordered the temporary closure of Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport through Sunday night due to airborne ash, impacting 964 flights at the country's main hub alone.
Erupting continuously since Friday in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, the volcano has produced massive ash plumes extending up to 15,000 metres high.
In response, authorities in Jakarta and Lampung mandated remote learning for schools while advising residents to limit outdoor exposure and wear protective masks.
Additionally, Mount Semeru in East Java recorded a fresh eruption with a one-kilometre ash column, leaving five Indonesian volcanoes on Level 3 alert status.
