Indonesian volcanic eruption leaves some 170,000 travellers stranded

An eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano has caused widespread disruption to air travel in Indonesia. The volcano, located between Java and Sumatra islands, has been spewing ash since late on Friday, leading to the closure of seven Indonesian airports, including two serving Jakarta, for safety reasons.

The transport minister reported that over 270,000 people have been affected by the disruption, according to the Daily Maverick. The ash from the volcano has blanketed Jakarta and surrounding areas, causing problems for travellers.

The Anak Krakatau volcano is one of around 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, a country located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone. The volcano began emerging a century ago from the site of the older Krakatau volcano, which destroyed itself in massive eruptions in 1883, killing over 36,000 people.

Brief written by urgent.news from Qatar Tribune, Daily Maverick — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.