Anak Krakatau continues to erupt, lava fountains reported

Jakarta: Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano, situated in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, experienced additional eruptions on Saturday morning, with booming and rumbling noises heard by observers. National Disaster Mitigation Agency officials reported lava fountaining activity between midnight and 6 a.m., having started at 11:07 p.m. local time on Friday.

Berton Panjaitan, Head of the BNPB's Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre, stated the volcano's regrown structure remained small and not capable of causing a tsunami, despite public concerns along coastal regions. The government is reassuring the public, especially in Banten and Lampung provinces, about the low likelihood of a tsunami following the Dec.

22, 2018 event. Anak Krakatau is currently rated Level III (Alert), with a three-kilometer exclusion zone around its active crater. During the observation period, PVMBG noted one eruption earthquake measuring 70 millimeters in amplitude and lasting 21,600 seconds, while a camera was damaged by volcanic material. Authorities advise residents not to approach the volcanic area for safety reasons.

Additionally, around 650 people, comprising 208 families, have been registered as evacuees from Mount Sinabung in Karo regency, North Sumatra, following heightened activity since Aug. 31. The status of Sinabung was raised from Level II (Waspada) to Level III (Siaga) due to the increased activity. As of Friday, about 405 people were residing at the Jambur Arih Ersada evacuation center in Sukatepu village.

Thick white crater smoke was observed rising 300 to 500 meters above Sinabung's summit between noon and 6 p.m., although no seismic activity was recorded during that time.