INDONESIA CLOSES EIGHT AIRPORTS AFTER ANAK KRAKATAU ERUPTION

Mount Anak Krakatau erupted on Saturday, producing a fountain of lava and sounds audible up to several hundred kilometres away, according to Indonesia's geology agency. The eruption sent volcanic ash across a distance exceeding 150 kilometres, reaching the airspace around Soekarno-Hatta international airport in Jakarta. Two further eruptions were recorded on Sunday. Authorities suspended operations at eight airports, including Soekarno-Hatta and Husein Sastranegara in Bandung, citing increased eruptive activity.

The airport closures left approximately 170,000 passengers stranded on Sunday, according to Indonesia's transport ministry. The ministry recorded 1,558 delayed flights at the affected airports, with more than 900 of those involving Soekarno-Hatta. Schools across Jakarta moved classes online on Monday in response to ash fall. Several alternative airports in cities including Semarang and Surabaya were prepared for diversions. Some shipping routes through the strait separating Java and Sumatra, where Anak Krakatau is located, were also disrupted.

The suspension was extended until 8:59am Monday local time, the airport authority said. Passengers were forced to reschedule journeys; one businesswoman rebooked her flight to Tuesday after being unable to return to her hometown with her mother. Ships passing through the strait were instructed to increase vigilance for possible hazards related to the volcanic activity.