Scots issue URGENT warning against holiday travel after volcanic eruption

Flights to the popular island have been canceled due to a major volcanic eruption.

More than 150,000 passengers are stranded after a volcanic eruption in Indonesia forced the closure of six airports.

The disruption affected international flights, including routes to and from Singapore, Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur.

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The Anak Krakatoa volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, began to erupt late Friday evening.

This caused continuous seismic activity, lava fountains and loud explosions that were heard in the surrounding regions.

Dudi Purwagandhi, Indonesia’s transport minister, said 467 flights were affected so far and asked airlines to consider rerouting some flights to other airports.

Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport was the first to close on Sunday morning after volcanic ash was discovered in nearby airspace.

Further airport closures followed as the ash cloud spread towards West Java.

He called on airlines to speed up the process of refunding affected travelers and provide timely updates to prevent overcrowding at airports.

Indonesia’s meteorological agency BMKG said ash heights reached 20,000 feet (6,000 m) on the Java side of the volcano and 50,000 feet (15,000 m) on the Sumatra side.

Despite the scale of the eruption, authorities confirmed there was no tsunami warning.

The health minister advised residents in affected areas to stay home and wear face masks to protect themselves from respiratory, eye and skin irritation.

Several schools canceled events Saturday after students and residents reported eye irritation from the ash.

Some fishermen have also suspended trips to the sea, citing similar complaints.

Anak Krakatoa, which means “Child of Krakatoa”, has been active intermittently since emerging from the sea in the early 20th century.

It was formed in a caldera created by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Krakatoa in 1883.

In December 2018, Anak Krakatau partially collapsed, causing a tsunami that killed more than 400 people and displaced thousands along the Sumatra and Java coastlines.

Scientists later determined that some of the rocks that slid into the sea during the collapse were between 70 and 90 meters high.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a 40,000 km (25,000 mi) arc of volcanoes and fault lines that stretches from the southern tip of South America to New Zealand.

The region contains 75 percent of the world’s active volcanoes and accounts for about 90 percent of all earthquakes.

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UK government warned Britons about the dangers of traveling to parts of Indonesia.

It said: “If you are planning to travel, check with your airline or travel provider for the latest information on the status of your flight.”

Britons are advised to avoid traveling to the following volcanoes in Indonesia:

• Mount Levotobi Lucky Laki, on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province – within 7 km of the crater.

• Mount Sinabung, Karo Ridensi, North Sumatra – within 5 km of the crater.

• Mount Marapi, West Sumatra – within 3 km of the crater.

• Mount Semeru, Lumajang Regency, East Java – within 5 km from the crater and in the southeast of Mount Semuru within 500 m from any bank of the Besuk Cobocan River at a distance of 13 km from the crater.

• Mount Ruang, North Sulawesi – within 7 km of the crater.

• Mount Ibu, North Maluku Province – within 7 km of the crater.