Anak Krakatau ash keeps eight Indonesian airports shut, affects 170,000

Jakarta: Eight Indonesian airports, including those serving Jakarta, remained closed on Monday morning due to volcanic ash from eruptions at Mount Anak Krakatau. The ash, which has blanketed the city and surrounding areas since the volcano erupted late on Friday, has led to flight cancellations affecting 170,000 people. The main airport in Jakarta, which is set to stay closed until 6 p.m. local time, will not know for certain when it will reopen due to the changing weather conditions.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated that the closure of the seven other airports, which serve nearby provinces of Lampung and West Java, will continue until at least 8.59 a.m. The volcano monitoring agency warned that the likelihood of further eruptions in the coming periods remains high. The eruptions have seen ash rise up to 6,000 meters on the Java side of the volcano and 15,000 meters on the Sumatra side, with some regions in Banten province also affected.

On Sunday, the disaster agency urged people to wear masks while outdoors to avoid inhaling the ash. To mitigate health risks, schools in Jakarta and Lampung plan to use remote learning. Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Anak Krakatau, meaning "child of Krakatau," emerged from the site of the older Krakatau volcano over a century ago. The older volcano exploded in 1883, causing over 36,000 fatalities from tsunamis.