Anak Krakatau eruption partially halts flights in Jakarta

Ash clouds from Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano brought Jakarta's air traffic to a partial standstill. More than 200 flights were canceled because of the ash, according to the Transport Ministry, and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport suspended operations until 9:30 a.m. local time.

The volcano erupted again on Friday, throwing ash as high as 15,000 meters. Indonesia's disaster management agency urged residents to stay alert and wear masks when ash falls. Local media reported that several schools canceled classes on Saturday after students and residents complained of eye irritation caused by the ash.

Anak Krakatau sits on a small island between Java, home to Jakarta, and Sumatra. Its history gives the latest eruption a particularly serious backdrop. In 2018, the volcano triggered a tsunami that killed hundreds of people on Java and Sumatra.

The present-day volcano, whose name means “Child of Krakatau” in Indonesian, emerged about 100 years ago after the original Krakatau was destroyed in the massive eruption of 1883. That eruption sent ash clouds up to 80 kilometers into the sky and triggered several tsunamis, killing about 36,000 people. Its final explosion is considered the loudest sound ever heard on Earth in modern history. The ash reduced sunlight worldwide and lowered global temperatures for several years.