Indonesia's Anak Krakatoa volcano erupted on Sunday morning, causing the cancellation of all flights at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta international airport, as volcanic ashes spread to some areas of the western archipelago.
The Geological Agency of Indonesia that the volcanic island, located in the Sunda Strait between the main islands of Java and Sumatra, showed signs of activity on Saturday and erupted for 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. on Sunday.
Authorities suspended operations of the international airport, located outside Jakarta, due to the ashes ejected by the volcano, also known as Krakatoa and located more than 150 kilometers away.
The Anak Krakatoa mountain erupted producing a fountain of lava and streams that could be heard at a distance of up to 700 kilometers (435 miles), the geological agency said in a statement.
“The latest paper test ... yielded positive results indicating the spread of volcanic ash in the area of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, so the closure of the airport was extended until Sunday at 9:30 a.m. (02:30 GMT),” the Ministry of Transport said in a statement.
More than 22,000 passengers were affected by the suspension, according to the ministry, which added that 209 flights were affected, those with origin and destination in Singapore.
Other international routes affected were those from Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur.
The Anak Krakatoa, which means “Son of Krakatoa”, is located in a strait separating the islands of Java and Sumatra. It has shown sporadic activity since it emerged from the sea at the beginning of the last century in the caldera formed after the eruption of Mount Krakatoa in 1883.
That catastrophe was one of the deadliest and most destructive in history, with an estimated 35,000 fatalities.
Indonesia, an archipelago nation in Southeast Asia, is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the encounter of continental plates causes elevated volcanic and seismic activity.
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