Reuters —
Eight Indonesian airports, including two in Jakarta, remained closed early Monday morning due to volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, the transport minister said.
Volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau, located halfway between Java and Sumatra, has blanketed Jakarta and several areas around it since it erupted late Friday, leading to the closure of the airport for safety reasons.
The Department of Transport said 170,000 people were affected by flight cancellations.
Jakarta’s main airport will be closed until 6pm local time, the airport operator announced on Instagram on Monday.
“Due to weather fluctuations, we cannot confirm when this will end,” Transport Minister Dudi Purwa Gandhi said in a statement on Monday, adding that seven other airports, including those serving Lampung and West Java provinces near Jakarta, will be closed until at least 8:59 a.m.
The volcano monitoring agency’s website shows Anak Krakatau’s latest eruption occurred on Sunday at 8:23 p.m.
The agency warned on Monday that “the possibility of further eruptions remains high.”
The eruption caused volcanic ash to reach heights of 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) on the Java side and 50,000 feet (15,000 meters) on the Sumatra side and parts of Java’s Banten province, the Japan Meteorological Agency BMKG said on its website.
Smoke rises 50,000 feet after Indonesian volcano erupts
Mount Anak Krakatau in Indonesia continues to erupt for the second day in a row. Flights from Jakarta’s main airport have been suspended due to volcanic ash.
On Sunday, the disaster agency urged people to wear masks when traveling outdoors to avoid breathing in ash. In Jakarta and Lampung, schools will use distance learning to combat health risks for students, state-run Antara news agency reported.
Indonesia is located in the Pacific Rim of Volcanoes, and is subject to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Anak Krakatoa, meaning son of Krakatoa, began to emerge a century ago from the area previously occupied by Krakatoa (then known as Krakatoa). This ancient volcano was destroyed in a massive eruption in 1883, resulting in a series of tsunamis that killed more than 36,000 people.
