Volcanic island in Indonesia erupts, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights
The volcanic island of Anak Krakatau in Indonesia erupted, causing significant travel disruptions across the region. Over 1,500 flights were canceled, affecting 170,000 passengers as airports closed due to volcanic ash.
Why it matters
The eruption highlights the vulnerability of regional air travel infrastructure to natural disasters in the Pacific Ring of Fire.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A volcano erupted in Indonesia early Sunday, prompting the cancellation of all flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and disrupting other domestic airports as ash drifted across western parts of the country .
The volcanic island of Anak Krakatau, located in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait between the main Java and Sumatra islands, had showed signs of activity since Friday before erupting for 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. Sunday and for 16 seconds about three hours later, Indonesia’s Geological Agency said. Closed-circuit camera footage showed lava flares from the volcano.
No casualties were reported and no evacuation order was issued. The nearest settlement is more than 16 kilometers (10 miles) away, but authorities warned residents and visitors to stay at least 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the active crater.
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