Volcano Disrupts Indonesian Air Travel

Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano, in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, erupted violently beginning Sept. 4, with its most intense phase lasting about 25 hours through Sept. 6 and ash plumes reaching as high as 50,000 feet. Eight airports were closed, including both of Jakarta's, and roughly 2,900 flights were canceled, stranding or delaying more than 340,000 travelers. Eight people, including five journalists aboard a boat near the volcano, were reported missing. 

Airports reopened in stages by Sept. 10 as ash cleared, though volcanologists warned further, likely smaller, explosions were probable. Indonesia's disaster agency reported the eruption's broader effects, including ashfall on farmland, had touched roughly 161,000 families across Lampung, Banten, Jakarta, and West Java as of Sept. 12. It was the latest reminder of the disruption volcanic ash can cause across the Indonesian archipelago, one of the world's most volcanically active regions.