Mount Anak Krakatau: What to know about the volcano disrupting Indonesia flights

Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted flights and daily life in Indonesia after a series of eruptions spread volcanic ash more than 150 kilometers, reaching Jakarta and surrounding areas.

Eight Indonesian airports, including two in Jakarta, remained closed on the morning of Sept. 7. At least 170,000 people were affected by flight cancellations. Schools in several areas cancelled activities on Sept. 5 after students and residents reported eye irritation, while fishermen abandoned their trips.

The volcano sits in the Sunda Strait between Sumatra and Java. It emerged less than 80 years ago from the remains of Krakatau, whose catastrophic eruption in 1883 caused two-thirds of the original island to sink into the strait. The parent volcano’s explosions produced what NASA describes as the loudest sound on record, heard as far away as Rodriguez Island and Australia.

Anak Krakatau has erupted frequently since 1927. It has remained at alert level 3, the second-highest level, since July 2, and an eruption on July 7 sent ash 100 meters into the air.

The volcano partially collapsed during an eruption in December 2018, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 400 people and injured thousands across Java and Sumatra. Anak Krakatau lost about two-thirds of its height, falling from 338 meters to 110 meters. Indonesia’s national disaster management agency said on Sept. 5 that the latest eruptions posed no imminent tsunami risk.