JAKARTA: Mount Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, has erupted more than two dozen times in recent days, sending ash plumes hundreds of metres into the sky and blanketing nearby Sebesi Island in volcanic ash.
On Monday, the volcano erupted 20 times between 1.30am and 10pm, with ash plumes rising as high as 400m above the crater. The number of eruptions increased from Sunday, when Anak Krakatau erupted eight times, sending ash plumes 200 to 300 metres into the sky.
Andi Suwardi, an official at the Mt. Anak Krakatau Observation Post, said the volcano’s alert status remained at Level III (watch), the second-highest level in Indonesia’s four-tier volcanic alert system, despite a recent increase in activity.
“Volcanic activity at Mt. Anak Krakatau continues to fluctuate, rising and falling. That is why its status remains at Level III,” Andi said on Tuesday, as quoted by Kompas.com. He said the volcano could erupt again at any time, particularly if tremor amplitudes remained high.
“We will continue to monitor its activity. If the tremor amplitude remains high, there is still a possibility of another eruption,” he said.
Andi urged residents and visitors to keep away from Anak Krakatau and refrain from conducting any activities within a 3-km radius of its active crater while the volcano remains at Level III.
As volcanic activity at Mt. Anak Krakatau increased, ash began falling on Sebesi Island in South Lampung, the nearest inhabited island to the volcano, about 15km away.
Candra, a Sebesi resident, said a thin layer of black ash had settled on homes, forcing residents to clean more frequently.
“Wind direction appeared to determine the amount of ash reaching our island. When the wind blows from the south, the ash comes this way,” Candra said on Monday.
Candra said residents were concerned that heavier ashfall could cause breathing problems, particularly for young children and the elderly.
“Residents have begun wearing masks outdoors to limit exposure, while those who are unwell have been advised by local health authorities to stay indoors and reduce outdoor activities,” he said.
South Lampung Regent Radityo Egi Pratama said the local administration had deployed medical teams to Sebesi Island to monitor residents' conditions.
“We want to ensure residents receive medical attention if they experience health problems related to volcanic ash,” Egi said on Tuesday.
The administration was also coordinating with officials at the Mt. Anak Krakatau Observation Post to monitor the volcano’s activity and assess its potential impact on residents, he said.
Mt. Anak Krakatau has recorded a significant increase in volcanic activity since June 10, following a prolonged period of relative inactivity.
On July 3, the Geological Agency of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry raised Mt. Anak Krakatau’s alert status from Level II (advisory) to Level III.
Mt. Anak Krakatau, which means “Child of Krakatau,” emerged from the sea in 1927 within the caldera formed by the massive 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatau, one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic disasters in recorded history.
The 1883 eruption unleashed powerful explosions and a series of tsunamis that killed an estimated 36,000 people across the region. The event also sent vast amounts of volcanic material into the atmosphere, disrupting weather patterns and influencing the global climate.
Mt. Anak Krakatau’s most recent major eruption occurred on Dec 22, 2018, when a partial collapse of the volcano’s flank triggered a tsunami that struck coastal areas of southern Sumatra and western Banten. The disaster killed at least 429 people and injured more than 7,200 others. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
