Anak Krakatau eruption sends ash 15km high, shuts 6 Indonesian airports

The Anak Krakatau volcano in Indonesia's Sunda Strait erupted, sending volcanic ash soaring up to 15,000 meters and forcing the temporary closure of six major airports, including an international airport on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta.

The eruption occurred Thursday night in the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Sumatra and Java, according to Reuters, AFP and Al Jazeera. Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said the blast was loud enough to be heard up to 700 kilometers away.

Ash columns soared to 15,000 meters toward parts of Banten province on Java and to 6,000 meters in the direction of Sumatra. The eruption forced the closure of six major airports, including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on the outskirts of Jakarta — about 150 kilometers from the volcano — and Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Bandung.

Indonesia's director general of civil aviation said safety was the top priority in all operational decisions, including schedule adjustments by airlines, and that authorities would continue to monitor the situation in coordination with airlines, air navigation services and the meteorological agency.

Indonesia's Transportation Ministry said 209 flights were affected and about 22,000 passengers were stranded. Routes to Singapore were particularly hard hit, with services to Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur also disrupted. At least 16 domestic flights to Bali were canceled. Singapore Airlines canceled two flights to and from Jakarta on Saturday and rescheduled two others to Sunday.

The operator of Soekarno-Hatta Airport said it was working with airlines to provide stranded passengers with meals and refreshments, and had arranged bus transfers to hotels.

South Korea's embassy in Indonesia urged Korean nationals to limit outdoor activities and to wear masks when going outside, warning that air quality could deteriorate depending on wind direction due to the volcanic ash.

Suharyanto, head of Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency, said the ash would wash away quickly once sufficient rain fell. Disaster authorities said there was no imminent tsunami risk from the eruption.

Anak Krakatau, whose name means "Child of Krakatau," formed in 1927 at the site of the original Krakatau volcano following a massive explosion there.

The original Krakatau island volcano was destroyed in August 1883 in one of the most catastrophic eruptions in recorded history. The resulting tsunamis and other effects killed more than 36,000 people, and the ash ejected into the atmosphere is believed to have blanketed the sky and caused global temperatures to drop by about 1 degree Celsius the following year.