Eight Indonesian airports remain shut due to volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau

Jakarta, Indonesia is grappling with eight airports closed due to volcanic ash spewed by Anak Krakatau, a volcano situated between Java and Sumatra islands. The Transport Minister announced on Monday that the closures, which began late Friday after the volcano's eruption, have affected flights and impacted around 170,000 individuals.

While Jakarta's primary airport will remain shut until 6pm local time, the other seven airports including those serving nearby provinces of Lampung and West Java, will stay closed until at least 8.59am. The volcano monitoring agency indicated further eruptions are likely in the coming periods, with ash reaching up to 20,000 feet on the Java side and 50,000 feet on the Sumatra side.

The disaster agency urged residents in Jakarta and Lampung to wear masks while outdoors to prevent inhalation of the ash. Schools in these areas have shifted to remote learning to safeguard students from health risks. Indonesia, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is no stranger to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Anak Krakatau, or Child of Krakatau, emerged a century ago from the remains of the older Krakatau, which erupted disastrously in 1883, causing over 36,000 deaths through tsunamis.