Anak Krakatau Eruption Eases, But Indonesia Keeps Airports and Schools Shut
Indonesia reports easing volcanic activity at Anak Krakatau, but ash keeps airports closed and schools remote.
Indonesia is maintaining closures of several airports and has shifted schools to remote learning, even as officials report that the volcanic eruption at Anak Krakatau is losing intensity.
The country's Geological Agency stated that the continuous 25-hour eruption, which produced a fountain of lava and a boom audible up to 700 kilometers away, ended on Sunday. However, the volcano remains active, with moderate, intermittent eruptions, dark ash emissions, and small, localized earthquakes reported on Monday. Visual observations are being hampered by thick weather conditions.
Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, showed signs of increased activity from Friday. It erupted for 30 seconds early Sunday and again for 16 seconds roughly three hours later. Closed-circuit camera footage captured lava flares from the crater.
No casualties have been reported, and no evacuation orders have been issued. The nearest settlement is over 16 kilometers from the volcano, but authorities have advised residents and visitors to maintain a distance of at least 3 kilometers from the active crater.
Volcanic ash has spread across parts of Jakarta and Lampung province on Sumatra's southern tip. This has led AirNav Indonesia to close airspace around Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports, along with six other airports, including Radin Inten II in Lampung. The ash drift has stranded approximately 170,000 passengers across the western part of the country.