🔶 Severe eruption of volcano in Indonesia; widespread disruption to flights in Jakarta

A sudden and intense eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano in the early hours of Sunday, 15 Shahrivar (6 September), caused huge plumes of ash to be thrown into the sky and led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and several other airports in western Indonesia.

According to the Indonesian Geology Agency, the volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, erupted at 3:53 a.m. local time. Surveillance cameras recorded the lava eruption. Although no reports of casualties or orders to evacuate residential areas have been released, authorities have warned citizens and tourists to keep at least a 3-kilometer distance from the active volcano’s crater.

Following the spread of ash clouds to an altitude of 15,000 meters, Indonesia’s aviation organization (AirNav) suspended airspace and airport operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, along with four other regional airports. This decision resulted, by Sunday afternoon, in the cancellation or delay of more than 500 flights and the stranded thousands of passengers.