Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano erupted early Sunday, sending volcanic ash across parts of western Indonesia and disrupting air travel, including flights at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Dramatic footage from the volcano showed flashes of lava as the eruption unfolded.
The volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, had shown increased activity since Friday before erupting twice on Sunday. No casualties were reported and authorities did not issue an evacuation order, but residents and visitors were warned to stay away from the active crater.
Watch: Anak Krakatau erupts, lava flares captured on camera
Footage from a closed-circuit camera showed bright lava flares emerging from Anak Krakatau during the eruption. The volcano first erupted for around 30 seconds at 3:53 am, followed by another eruption lasting about 16 seconds roughly three hours later.
The dramatic visuals showed the scale of activity at the volcanic island as ash clouds began spreading across parts of western Indonesia.
Volcanic ash disrupts flights across Indonesia
The eruption quickly affected air travel. AirNav Indonesia closed airspace around Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports, along with six other airports, including Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung.
At Soekarno-Hatta alone, the disruption had affected 467 flights and around 150,000 passengers by Sunday evening, with the airport ordered closed until 11:59 pm.
Passengers were seen seeking refunds and collecting checked baggage as flight cancellations mounted. Services were also disrupted at Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and in Medan.
Two massive ash clouds detected
Indonesia's volcanology agency and Australia's Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre identified two ash clouds using satellite imagery.
One plume rose to around 20,000 feet (6,100 metres) and drifted northeast towards Jakarta, Banten and West Java. A second ash cloud climbed as high as 50,000 feet (15,200 metres), spreading across parts of Banten, Lampung and Bengkulu, the southern Sunda Strait and areas of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra.
Officials warn volcano remains active
Indonesia's Geological Agency said Anak Krakatau's activity has intensified since July, with Sunday's eruption being the strongest during that period.
Lana Saria, head of Indonesia's Geological Agency, said the repeated eruptions suggest a continued supply of magma and volcanic gases beneath the volcano. However, officials cannot predict whether the activity will develop into a larger eruption.
Authorities have warned of hazards including volcanic ash, high concentrations of gas, hot rocks and other material being ejected around the crater. Residents and visitors have been advised to remain at least 3 kilometres from the active crater.
Why Anak Krakatau is closely watched
Anak Krakatau means "child of Krakatau" and is the volcanic offspring of the famous Krakatau volcano. The historic 1883 Krakatau eruption was among the most powerful volcanic events in recorded history and triggered a period of global cooling.
Anak Krakatau also drew international attention in 2018 when an eruption triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people in Sumatra and Java.
(With inputs from AP)
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