Indonesia's Anak Krakatau eruption halts flights, schools, fishing

JAKARTA - An eruption of Indonesia's Mount Anak Krakatau caused the suspension of hundreds of flights at Jakarta's main airport on Sunday (Sept 6) after some school activities and fishing were halted.

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport posted on Instagram that it had suspended flight operations until 9.30am (10.30am Singapore time) due to volcanic ash. 

The suspension, initially scheduled until 5.30am, was later extended to 9.30am, 1.30pm, 5.30pm, 10.30pm, and then 1am.

It has since affected at least 301 flights, including 19 Singapore Airlines flights, according to the airport's website.

Anak Krakatau has erupted since late on Friday, with volcanic ash detected at the airport early on Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.

Ash was identified as high as 20,000 feet (6,000 metres) on the Java side of the volcano and a plume of up to 50,000 feet (15,000 metres) on the Sumatra side and some parts of Banten province in Java, the meteorological agency BMKG posted on its website.

Anak Krakatau is roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia's vast island chain, which sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent.

Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency, BNPB, "urges the public to remain calm while increasing vigilance. In the event of ashfall, people are advised to wear masks and eye protection, reduce outdoor activities, cover water sources and exercise caution when driving, as volcanic ash can reduce visibility," said spokesperson Berton Panjaitan.

Several schools cancelled activities on Saturday with students and residents suffering eye irritation from the ash, while fishermen cancelled their fishing trips due to the eruption, local media outlet Kompas reported.

The disaster mitigation agency said on Saturday there was no imminent risk of tsunami from the volcano.

A tsunami in 2018 caused by Anak Krakatau eruptions killed hundreds and injured hundreds more on Java and Sumatra.

Anak Krakatau, which means child of Krakatau, emerged a century ago from the area once occupied by Krakatau, then known as Krakatoa. Krakatoa was destroyed in 1883, when its massive eruptions killed more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis.

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