Anak Krakatau eruption disrupts flights at eight Indonesian airports

The eruption of Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano has led to the suspension of flights at eight airports, impacting more than 1,500 flights and around 170,000 passengers, as volcanic ash continues to disrupt schooling and fishing activities.

The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation announced that operations at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport have been suspended until the end of the day after volcanic ash was detected, with 964 flights at this airport alone affected.

Anak Krakatau, located between the islands of Java and Sumatra, has been erupting since Friday. Ash clouds have reached heights of up to 6,000 meters in some areas, while in others the ash column has soared to 15,000 meters.

Precautionary measures and school closures

As the eruption continues, authorities in Lampung and Jakarta have implemented remote learning from today and urged residents to wear masks and limit outdoor activities.

Simultaneous volcanic activity in East Java

Meanwhile, Mount Semeru in East Java also erupted, sending an ash plume one kilometer above its summit. This has brought the number of Indonesian volcanoes at the third-highest alert level to five.