Approximately 270,000 passengers have been stranded in Indonesia due to the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano. More than 2,000 flights have been canceled or suspended because of volcanic ash. Passenger suffering has increased as operations at several airports remained suspended for the second consecutive day.
Located about 150 kilometers from the capital Jakarta, Anak Krakatau began erupting on Friday night. The eruption generated fountains of lava and spread massive amounts of ash toward Jakarta and Lampung provinces. The volcano had been seismically active throughout the week.
As volcanic ash was detected in the airspace, the closure of four airports, including Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, has been extended until 6 PM local time on Monday. Due to the situation, educational institutions in the region have shifted to online classes, and some maritime transport operations have also been disrupted.
Long queues of stranded passengers were seen at the terminal of Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Monday. Many people attempted to get ticket refunds and find out new flight schedules. Officials said that tests are being conducted at the airports every 30 minutes to observe whether the spread of ash is increasing or decreasing.
Indonesia's geological agency warned on Monday that further eruptions are likely in the coming period. The meteorological agency BMKG reported that volcanic ash has reached heights of 6,000 meters toward Java Island and 15,000 meters toward Sumatra.
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated that due to changing weather conditions, it cannot be said with certainty when the eruption and its impacts will end.
Authorities have banned entry or any kind of activity within a 3.0-kilometer radius of the active crater. Vessels navigating the Sunda Strait have also been prohibited from entering within 3.0 kilometers of the area. However, no tsunami warning has been issued due to the recent eruption.
Anak Krakatau emerged from the sea out of the volcanic caldera created after the catastrophic 1883 Krakatau eruption. In December 2018, the collapse of a portion of the volcano triggered a tsunami that killed over 400 people and left thousands displaced and injured.
