Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano erupted twice within a little over an hour on Friday, projecting volcanic ash as high as 3,000 meters (9,843 ft) into the sky, as confirmed by the country’s volcanology agency. The initial eruption occurred at 7:46 a.m. (0046 GMT) local time, followed by another eruption 62 minutes later. Time-lapse imagery shared by the agency revealed the expansion of a sizable cloud emanating from the volcano and drifting southwestward.
Anak Krakatau stands at a height of 157 meters (515.09 ft) and is located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands. Since March of this year, the volcano has erupted more than 10 times. The nearest settlement to the volcano is situated approximately 16.5 km (10.25 miles) away.
Authorities have raised the alert level to the second-highest stage, as stated by Oktory Prambada, an official at the volcanology and geological agency. Although no evacuation orders have been issued, both tourists and residents have been advised to steer clear of the volcano and refrain from attempting to climb it.
Indonesia, positioned along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” boasts 127 active volcanoes, according to the volcanology agency.
An eruption of Anak Krakatau in December 2018 triggered an underwater landslide, leading to a devastating tsunami in Banten, West Java province, and Lampung province, claiming the lives of at least 430 individuals.
Currently, four Indonesian volcanoes, including Anak Krakatau, Merapi in Central Java, Semeru in East Java, and Karangetang in North Sulawesi, are at the second-highest alert level.
Anak Krakatau, also known as the child of Krakatau, emerged from the famous Krakatau volcano, which erupted in 1883, causing a series of tsunamis that resulted in the loss of over 36,000 lives.
