Volcanic eruption leaves 170,000 travelers stranded in Indonesia

About 170,000 travelers were stranded in Indonesia after Anak Krakatau erupted, forcing authorities to temporarily suspend operations at eight airports. A total of 1,558 flights were delayed, with closures expected to remain in place until 9 a.m. Monday local time.

The disruption hit flights to and from Singapore particularly hard. Other international routes affected included Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, according to Indonesia’s Transport Ministry and the BBC. Transport Minister Dudi Purwagandi said authorities decided to close additional airports after tests showed volcanic ash had spread toward West Java.

The volcano began erupting late Friday evening, with continuing seismic activity, lava fountains and loud sounds heard in nearby areas. Authorities said two further eruptions occurred early Sunday. Indonesia’s meteorological agency, BMKG, reported ash reaching about 6,000 meters over Java, east of the volcano, and about 15,000 meters west of it, toward Sumatra.

Officials said there was no tsunami warning connected to the latest activity. Anak Krakatau sits in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra and has remained intermittently active since emerging from the sea in the caldera formed by the 1883 Krakatoa eruption. The same volcano collapsed in December 2018, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 400 people and left thousands injured or displaced along the coasts of Sumatra and Java.

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The decision to temporarily close additional airports was made after tests showed that volcanic ash had spread toward West Java.