Indonesia's main airport suspends operations after volcanic eruption
Key Points:
- Indonesia closed its main international airport, Soekarno-Hatta, along with seven other airports on Sunday, cancelling over 1,500 flights and stranding approximately 170,000 passengers due to volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatoa's eruptions.
- Mount Anak Krakatoa erupted multiple times over the weekend, emitting lava fountains and ash plumes detected up to 150 kilometers away, prompting extended airport suspensions until Monday morning.
- Authorities established alternative airports in cities like Semarang and Surabaya to accommodate diverted flights, while schools in Jakarta shifted to online classes due to ash fallout concerns.
- Maritime authorities enforced a three-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano to ensure navigation safety, warning that volcanic activity poses risks but currently does not threaten a tsunami.
- Anak Krakatoa, located between Java and Sumatra, has been intermittently active since its emergence in the early 20th century, with previous eruptions causing significant disasters, including a deadly tsunami in 2018.