Volcanic eruption leaves more than 150 000 stranded in Indonesia

More than 150 000 passengers have been left stranded after a volcanic eruption forced Indonesian authorities to temporarily suspend operations at eight airports.

Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport was the first to be closed on Sunday morning after ash from Anak Krakatau was detected in airspace near the airport.

Transport minister Dudy Purwagandhi said so far 712 flights have been affected and asked airlines to consider diverting some flights to other airports.

The volcano had started erupting late on Friday night, generating continuous seismic activity, lava fountains, and booming sounds across surrounding regions. Two more eruptions happened early on Sunday, authorities said.

The transport ministry said the pause in operations mainly affected flights to and from Singapore, also other international routes including Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur.

Purwagandhi said the decision to temporarily close more airports was made after tests found that volcanic ash had spread towards West Java.

He urged airlines to speed up processes for refunding tickets for passengers who have been affected by flight cancellations, and for airlines to provide timely information to those with upcoming flights to avoid overcrowding at airports.

According to Indonesia’s meteorological agency BMKG, ash reached as far as 20,000ft (6,000m) on Java on east of the volcano, and 50,000ft (15,000m) west of the volcano on the Sumatra side.

Authorities have confirmed there is no tsunami warning linked to the recent activity of the volcano, which is in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra.

The health minister has urged residents in affected areas to stay indoors and wear face masks to protect against respiratory, eye, and skin risks. (BBC)

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