Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano has erupted, spewing ash as high as 3 kilometers into the air.
The volcano island located in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait between the main Java and Sumatra islands has erupted at least seven times since late Friday, Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center said on Saturday.
It was the longest eruption since the explosive collapse of the mountain caused a deadly tsunami in 2018 along the coasts of Java and Sumatra, the center said. There were no casualties reported in the latest eruption and no evacuation order was issued. The nearest settlement is 16 1/2 kilometers (10 1/2 miles) away, reports AP.
The center’s closed-circuit camera showed lava flares and the volcano continuously erupting until Saturday morning.
The second-highest alert on a scale of four has remained in place since 2018.
Authorities in May warned residents and tourists to stay 5 kilometers from the crater. Up till then, people used to trek to the top to observe the nature’s spectacle.
Scientists at the center said that since the 2018 eruption and collapse, Anak Krakatau island is now only about a quarter of its original size.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
