More than 150,000 stranded as volcanic eruption closes eight Indonesian airports

More than 150,000 passengers were stranded after eight Indonesian airports closed because of an eruption at Anak Krakatau, west of Java. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta became the first to close after ash particles were detected in the airspace around the capital.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the eruption had affected 712 flights during the day. Air traffic controllers were trying to redirect flights to other airports, while the minister urged Indonesian airlines to speed up ticket refunds for passengers who had missed their flights.

Indonesia’s weather agency, BMKG, detected ash at heights of up to 20,000 feet, or 6,000 metres, over Java and as high as 50,000 feet, or 15 kilometres, west of the volcano. Health authorities advised people on Java and Sumatra to remain indoors and use face masks to protect their respiratory systems.

Schools in Jakarta closed after students and residents reported eye irritation, and fishermen stayed ashore. Flights involving Singapore, Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur were disrupted. Anak Krakatau, whose name means “child of Krakatau,” has erupted regularly since rising from the sea after the 1883 eruption. In December 2018, the volcano collapsed and triggered a tsunami that killed 400 people and left thousands homeless on Java and Sumatra.