Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Anak Krakatau eruption: Indonesian volcano which triggered deadly tsunami in 2018 erupts again

‘This is a big eruption for this volcano, but there is no reason to lose sleep,’ Nasa scientist says

Tom Embury-Dennis
Saturday 11 April 2020 13:02 EDT
Comments
Indonesia Tsunami: Volcano erupting

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

An Indonesian volcano which triggered a deadly tsunami 16 months ago has erupted again, spewing a column of ash up to 15km into the sky.

Scientists said Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island between Java and Sumatra, was continuously erupting until Saturday morning, making it the longest eruption there since its devastating collapse in 2018.

There were no casualties reported, but a level two alert status – the second-highest on a scale of four – remained in place.

CCTV from Indonesia‘s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation showed lava flares on Friday night.​

The 2018 eruption caused a tsunami along the coasts of Sumatra and Java, killing 430 people.

Scientists said that explosion was so violent the volcano was now only a quarter of its previous size, meaning any future tsunami would be far less severe.

Dr Kayla Lacovino, a volcanologist at Nasa, on Friday night tweeted: “Krakatoa volcano is erupting RIGHT NOW! This explosive eruption is producing strong lava fountaining and is the strongest eruption since the [2018 event].”

She added: “This is a big eruption for this volcano, but there is no reason to lose sleep.

Anak Krakatau, which means Child of Krakatau, is the offspring of the famous Krakatau (or Krakatoa) volcano, whose monumental eruption in 1883 triggered a period of global cooling.

Additional reporting by AP

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in