Flights diverted, alert level raised for Anak Krakatau

JAKARTA: Indonesia yesterday raised the alert level for the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano to the secondhighest, and ordered all flights to steer clear, days after it triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people.

A crater collapse on the volcanic island at high tide on Saturday sent waves up to 5m high smashing into the coast on the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra.

Authorities have warned that the crater of Anak Krakatau remains fragile, raising fears of another collapse and tsunami, and have urged residents to stay away from the coast. There are also fears of a bigger eruption.

The volcano has been rumbling on and off since July but has been particularly active since Sunday, spewing lava and rocks, and sending huge clouds of ash up to 3000m into heavily overcast skies.

The national geological agency set a 5km exclusion zone around the island.

‘‘Since December 23, activity has not stopped . . . we anticipate a further escalation,’’ Antonius Ratdomopurbo, secretary of the geological agency, said.

A thin layer of volcanic ash has been settling on buildings, vehicles and vegetation along the west coast of Java, according to images shared by the national disaster mitigation agency.

Residents have been advised to wear masks and goggles when outside.

Radar data from a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency satellite taken before and after the eruption, converted into images, has shown the volcano is dramatically smaller after the weekend’s eruption and that its southwestern flank has disappeared. — Reuters/AP