DistantNews
Support us
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด Romania /Disasters & Emergencies

Nightmare for 150,000 passengers as volcano eruption paralyzes Indonesian flights

From Adevฤƒrul · () Romanian

Translated from Romanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Indonesia temporarily suspended flights at six airports after Anak Krakatau erupted, affecting more than 150,000 passengers and 467 flights.
  • The disruption hit routes to and from Singapore most heavily, along with international services to Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur.
  • Ash reached up to 15,000 meters, prompting health warnings, school cancellations and advice for residents to remain indoors and wear masks.

More than 150,000 passengers were left stranded after the eruption of Anak Krakatau forced Indonesian authorities to suspend operations at six airports. The closures were due to remain in place until Sunday at 1:30 p.m. local time, or 6:30 a.m. GMT.

Flights to and from Singapore suffered the greatest disruption, while other international routes, including Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, were also affected. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said 467 flights had been hit and urged airlines to consider redirecting some services to other airports.

Anak Krakatau began erupting late Friday night. The volcano produced continuing seismic activity, lava fountains and loud noises that could be felt in nearby areas. Authorities recorded two more eruptions on Sunday morning. Indonesiaโ€™s meteorological agency, BMKG, said ash reached 6,000 meters over Java, east of the volcano, and 15,000 meters west of it, over the Sumatra side.

The volcano lies in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Authorities said the latest activity had not triggered a tsunami warning. The Health Minister urged residents in affected areas to stay indoors and wear masks to protect their respiratory systems, eyes and skin from volcanic ash.

Several schools canceled activities from Saturday after students and residents reported eye irritation. Some fishermen also called off trips to sea, citing pain and burning in their eyes. One resident said the irritation began Friday evening and felt โ€œlike small grains of sand had got into my eyes.โ€ He said the ash was so dense that he had to sweep his yard every five minutes.

Anak Krakatau, whose name means โ€œChild of Krakatoa,โ€ emerged in the caldera formed after the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. In December 2018, part of the volcano collapsed into the sea and caused a devastating tsunami that killed more than 400 people and left thousands injured or displaced along the coasts of Java and Sumatra. Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of intense seismic and volcanic activity.

like small grains of sand had got into my eyes

· Local residentThe resident described the irritation caused by volcanic ash.
About this summary

Originally published by Adevฤƒrul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog