Jakarta [Indonesia], September 7: Over 1,500 flights have been grounded across eight Indonesian airports, stranding roughly 170,000 passengers after Mount Anak Krakatau unleashed heavy volcanic ash clouds that also disrupted local education and fishing activities.
The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation ordered the temporary closure of Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport through Sunday night due to airborne ash, impacting 964 flights at the country's main hub alone.
Erupting continuously since Friday in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, the volcano has produced massive ash plumes extending up to 15,000 metres high.
In response, authorities in Jakarta and Lampung mandated remote learning for schools while advising residents to limit outdoor exposure and wear protective masks. Additionally, Mount Semeru in East Java recorded a fresh eruption with a one-kilometre ash column, leaving five Indonesian volcanoes on Level 3 alert status.
Source: Emirates News Agency
