Anak Krakatoa eruption grounds flights, strands thousands in Indonesia
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesia's main international airport outside Jakarta suspended operations for a second straight day on Sunday, as ash from the Anak Krakatoa volcano drifted across the region and disrupted travel for more than 22,000 passengers.
Mount Anak Krakatoa, which sits in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, erupted Saturday with a fountain of lava and booming sounds heard hundreds of kilometers away. Two more eruptions followed on Sunday, according to the country's volcanology agency.
The ash cloud forced authorities to halt operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the nation's busiest, starting at 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The suspension was extended three times, with the latest window ending at 5:30 p.m., the airport announced on social media.
Six airports affected, thousands of passengers stranded
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said six airports were affected, including Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung and Radin Inten II Airport near Bandar Lampung on Sumatra. Several airports in cities like Semarang and Surabaya were put on standby as alternate landing sites.
Passengers scrambled to find new flights. Henny Yensan, a 44-year-old businesswoman hoping to return to her hometown with her mother, rescheduled her flight to Tuesday.
“Everybody was disappointed,” Yensan told AFP. “No one flew into a rage, because after all, this is due to a natural disaster.”
Samuel Guiberteau, a Danone executive on a business trip to Lombok, said he had booked a Citilink flight back to Jakarta, but it was canceled.
“Nothing is certain for the moment,” the 47-year-old told AFP by phone. “I had no alternative but to stay in Lombok.”
The Transportation Ministry reported 209 flights were affected, particularly routes to and from Singapore. International destinations including Doha, Sydney, and Kuala Lumpur were also hit, along with at least 16 domestic flights to and from Bali.
What is Anak Krakatoa and why does it matter?
Anak Krakatoa, which means “Child of Krakatoa,” emerged from the sea in the early 20th century in the caldera left by the catastrophic 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatoa. That disaster killed an estimated 35,000 people and remains one of the deadliest volcanic events in history.
The volcano has been sporadically active ever since. Geologists warn that the current eruptive phase is unpredictable.
Geology agency head Lana Saria said seismic activity suggests movement of volcanic fluids, but “the timing, magnitude and nature of the next eruption cannot be precisely predicted.” She urged people to stay out of the three-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano.
Saria added that the current eruptions do not appear capable of triggering a tsunami, unlike the 2018 collapse of part of Anak Krakatoa, which killed 429 people and displaced thousands.
Regional impact and safety measures
Ships transiting the Sunda Strait were advised to exercise caution due to potential navigation hazards from volcanic activity. Port authorities have prohibited vessels from approaching within three kilometers of the volcano.
Indonesia, an archipelago nation of more than 17,000 islands, sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plate collisions cause frequent volcanic and seismic activity. This latest disruption is a reminder of the region's vulnerability, even as the country works to balance economic growth with disaster resilience.
For now, travelers are advised to check with airlines for updates, as operations may remain fluid while the volcano continues to rumble.
With reports from AFP and Inquirer