Volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau blankets Serang

Volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau began covering coastal areas of Serang, Banten, on Saturday night, irritating residents’ eyes and disrupting school activities.

Sanan, a 42-year-old resident of Kampung Pasauran Satu, said the ash had become noticeably thicker around homes since 5 p.m. He said riding a motorcycle without a helmet caused pain in his eyes, while ash stuck to his body and accumulated on the floor outside his house.

“

From five in the afternoon, there was a lot of dust. When I rode my motorcycle, my eyes hurt if I did not wear a helmet.

A series of rumbling sounds and continuing tremors since Friday night prompted Sanan to visit the Anak Krakatau Volcano Monitoring Post in Pasauran. He wanted to check the volcano’s condition and assess whether the area remained safe.

“

On the way, if you do not wear a mask, it hurts your throat quite a bit, and your eyes sting without glasses.

Ajat Sudrajat, the head of SDN Pasir Menteng in Cinangka, also went to the monitoring post. He said he needed reliable information to share with students and parents. Without a mask, he said, the ash irritated his throat, while his eyes hurt without protective glasses. Ash had visibly piled up around the monitoring post.

Ajat said the eruption had caused anxiety and contributed to low attendance at school. Many residents of Pasauran considered the rumbling and blasts familiar natural phenomena, he said, although some had chosen to move to mountainous areas for safety.

“

People are still safe because these things are familiar and natural for residents of Pasauran. But some residents have chosen to move to the mountainous area.