Volcano in Indonesia Just Snarled Travel Plans for 150K

Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano erupted early Sunday, prompting the cancellation of all flights at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and disrupting other domestic airports as volcanic ash drifted across parts of western Indonesia. The closures affected nearly 500 flights and roughly 150,000 passengers, per the AP. Indonesia's Geological Agency said the volcanic island located in Indonesia's Sunda Strait between the main Java and Sumatra islands had showed signs of activity since Friday before erupting for 30 seconds at 3:53am Sunday.

No casualties were reported and no evacuation order was issued. The nearest settlement is more than 10 miles away, but authorities warned residents and visitors to stay at least 2 miles from the active crater. Indonesia's volcanology agency and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre identified two ash clouds using satellite imagery. One plume rose to 20,000 feet and drifted northeast over Jakarta, Banten, West Java, and nearby waters. A second cloud reached 50,000 feet and spread over parts of Banten, Lampung and Bengkulu provinces, the southern Sunda Strait, and sections of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra.