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Seven Indonesian airports remain closed as Anak Krakatau sends volcanic ash across the region

From Daily Maverick · () English

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

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • Volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau has led to the closure of seven Indonesian airports and disrupted 2,300 flights, affecting more than 270,000 people.
  • Officials said ash columns reached up to 50,000 feet, while changing weather made it impossible to predict when airport closures would end.
  • Authorities warned of further eruptions, advised people to wear masks outdoors and shifted schools in Jakarta and Lampung to remote learning.

Seven Indonesian airports remained closed after Anak Krakatau sent volcanic ash across Java, Sumatra and surrounding areas, disrupting 2,300 flights and affecting more than 270,000 people. Jakarta’s main airport, Soekarno-Hatta, was among the facilities shut for safety reasons.

The transport ministry said the airport serving Jakarta would remain closed until 6 p.m. local time, along with six other airports. One airport in South Sumatra had reopened. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said officials could not determine when the disruption would end because weather conditions were changing.

We cannot ascertain when this will end due to the dynamic weather.

· Dudy PurwagandhiIndonesia's transport minister explained why officials could not predict when the airport disruption would end.

At Soekarno-Hatta, passengers searched information boards for updates, while others slept on benches. Carlos Zabala, a 24-year-old traveler heading to Spain after a vacation, said his flight had been repeatedly delayed. “All we have to do is wait, and wait, and wait,” he said, blaming operators for the lack of clarity.

Volcanic ash from the eruption has spread across Jakarta and nearby areas. Volcano expert Surono said windy and dry conditions were carrying sulfur- and silica-laden ash across the region, creating a risk for aircraft engines. He described the recent eruption as unusual.

All we have to do is wait, and wait, and wait.

· Carlos ZabalaA passenger described the frustration caused by repeated flight delays at Jakarta's main airport.

Ash towers reached 20,000 feet on the Java side of the volcano and 50,000 feet on the Sumatra side and in parts of Banten province, according to the meteorological agency BMKG. The volcano monitoring agency warned that the probability of further eruptions remained high.

Authorities urged people to wear masks outdoors to avoid breathing the ash. Schools in Jakarta and Lampung moved to remote learning because of health risks. Anak Krakatau is one of about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, a country located on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire. The volcano emerged about a century ago from the area of Krakatau, whose 1883 eruptions killed more than 36,000 people after triggering tsunamis. An eruption at Anak Krakatau caused a tsunami that killed more than 400 people in 2018.

For Anak Krakatau, the recent eruption was unusual.

· SuronoThe volcano expert assessed the eruption while warning that ash could threaten aircraft engines.
About this summary

Originally published by Daily Maverick in English. 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.

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