An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport suspended flight operations after volcanic ash from the volcano was detected over the area.
The airport initially planned to halt flights until 5:30 a.m. local time (22:30 GMT Saturday), but the suspension was extended until 9:30 a.m. (02:30 GMT), authorities said.
Indonesia’s Transportation Ministry said the disruption affected 209 flights, including several international services.
Some passengers criticised the lack of early notification about the cancellations.
“If it erupted last night and there was a prediction that flights would be cancelled, we should have been told from the beginning. That way passengers wouldn't have needed to come here,” said 55-year-old passenger Ersy Laksita Rini.
Anak Krakatau has been erupting since late Friday, with volcanic ash reaching the airport area early on Sunday, according to the Transportation Ministry.
Indonesia’s meteorological agency BMKG said ash was detected at altitudes of up to 20,000 feet (6,000 metres) on the Java side of the volcano. A plume of up to 50,000 feet (15,000 metres) was also observed towards Sumatra and parts of Banten province in Java.
The volcano is located roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra, within Indonesia’s Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency BNPB urged people to remain calm while increasing vigilance.
The agency advised residents to wear masks and eye protection during ashfall, limit outdoor activities, cover water sources and drive carefully due to reduced visibility.
Several schools cancelled activities on Saturday after students and residents reported eye irritation caused by volcanic ash, local media outlet Kompas reported.
Fishermen also suspended trips due to the eruption, as ashfall affected activities around the volcano.
BNPB said there was no immediate risk of a tsunami from the eruption.
Anak Krakatau, meaning “child of Krakatoa”, emerged about a century ago in the area once occupied by the original Krakatoa volcano.
The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa was one of the deadliest volcanic events in modern history. The explosion destroyed much of the volcano and triggered tsunamis that killed more than 36,000 people across Java and Sumatra.
In 2018, another eruption of Anak Krakatau caused a tsunami that killed hundreds and injured many more along the coasts of the two islands.
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