Indonesia raises Anak Krakatau alert level after eruption
Jakarta, Apr 26 (EFE).- Indonesian authorities have raised the alert level for Anak Krakatau volcano, which erupted at the weekend sending a cloud of smoke and ash up to 3,000 meters into the air.
The Indonesian meteorology department (BMKG) said in a statement Monday night that they have raised the alert to level 3 (out of a maximum of 4) due to the increased activity of Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra.
“The public is asked to be aware of the potential for high waves or tsunamis, especially at night,” said the BMKG a day after Sunday’s violent eruption.
The authorities said they will continue to monitor volcanic activity and have expanded the exclusion zone around the crater to a radius of 5 kilometers. They also asked residents to wear face masks due to the emissions.
On Dec. 22, 2018, the volcano erupted causing its flank to collapse, which generated a tsunami that caught out hundreds of people who were spending the Christmas holidays on the coasts of Java and Sumatra. The incident left 439 dead and over 14,000 injured.
Discovered in 1927, the Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatoa) emerged from the waters more than half a century after the great eruption of the legendary Krakatoa, whose caldera collapsed in 1883 after a series of massive explosions that cost the lives of more than 36,000 people and whose effects were felt around the world.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of great seismic and volcanic activity that is shaken every year by some 7,000 tremors, most of them moderate. EFE
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