Guwahati: An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau sent a large cloud of volcanic ash up to 50,000 feet into the atmosphere on Sunday, disrupting air travel across parts of Java and Sumatra and affecting hundreds of flights.
The volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, has been erupting since late Friday and has remained at alert level 3, the country’s second-highest warning level, since July 2.
The eruption prompted Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta to suspend flight operations until 1:30 pm local time after volcanic ash was detected around the airport. According to airport operator Angkasa Pura, the disruption affected 301 flights, including 58 international services.
Several airlines also cancelled or rescheduled flights to and from Jakarta as the ash cloud continued to drift across aviation routes. Singapore Airlines cancelled its Jakarta services for the remainder of Sunday, while AirAsia also reported multiple cancellations and schedule changes. Garuda Indonesia advised passengers to check flight information through its official channels before travelling to the airport.
The disruption left a number of passengers stranded at Soekarno-Hatta. Some travellers reported receiving notifications about delays or cancellations without clear information on when their flights would resume.
The eruption also affected activities in communities near the volcano. Several schools cancelled outdoor activities after residents and students reported eye irritation caused by volcanic ash. Fishing trips were also called off in some areas.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, BNPB, said it planned to conduct weather-modification operations, potentially including cloud seeding, in an effort to encourage rainfall and help disperse volcanic ash.
Authorities urged residents in affected areas to remain alert and take precautions against ashfall. People were advised to wear masks and eye protection, limit outdoor activities, cover water sources and exercise caution while driving because volcanic ash can reduce visibility.
Meanwhile, another Indonesian volcano, Mount Semeru, erupted on Sunday, sending an ash column about 1 kilometre above its summit. The country’s volcano monitoring agency, PVMBG, advised residents to stay at least five kilometres away from the crater and warned of potential hot ash clouds and lava flows.
Four other Indonesian volcanoes – Mount Semeru, Mount Merapi, Lewotobi Laki-laki and Sinabung are also currently at alert level 3.
Authorities said there was no immediate tsunami threat from Anak Krakatau.
The volcano emerged from the area of the former Krakatau after the catastrophic 1883 eruption, which triggered a series of tsunamis and killed more than 36,000 people. In December 2018, an eruption and subsequent collapse of Anak Krakatau triggered another tsunami that struck coastal areas of Java and Sumatra, killing more than 400 people.
While the latest eruption has disrupted air travel and daily activities, authorities continue to monitor the volcano and surrounding areas for further changes in activity.