Move FM Australian News

LAMPUNG, Indonesia – All flights around Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano have been rerouted and a 5km exclusion zone has been imposed after a series of eruptions. The alert level has been raised from level 2 to 3 (second highest rank) according to the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB).

On Thursday, the agency’s spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that the volcano was extended to a 5km radius and people were prohibited from carrying out activities around that radius of the crater peak.

An eruption that took place on Saturday caused a 10-foot high Tsunami that swept through the Sunda Strait, displacing tens of thousands and killing 430 people. It destroyed buildings, cars, trees and left at least 16,000 people displaced. The fact that Indonesia lies on the Ring of Fire makes it more prone to Tsunamis.

The volcano has been erupting on and off since July, spewing lava, rocks, and huge clouds of ash up to 3000m to the skies.

In a press release, the air-traffic control agency AirNav said that all flights have been rerouted due to the Krakatoa volcano ash. AirNav operations manager also said that 20 to 25 flights were affected by the disruption, including international flights to and from Singapore, Australia, and the Middle East.

He added that aircraft may need more fuel because of the diversions, and passengers may experience longer journeys. On Monday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo asked the Country’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geological Agency to acquire Tsunami detectors to provide early warnings to the community.