Indonesian authorities have urged those in the vicinity of Anak Krakatau volcano to be on alert in case of another tsunami, as new cracks have emerged on the volcano, which may trigger a collapse.
“Of course the hope is that it will not be like what happened (on Dec 22), but we ask the public to be vigilant when they are in the 500m zone around the coast,” says Dr Dwikorita Karnawati, head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
A section of Anak Krakatau’s slope collapsed after it erupted that day, sliding into the ocean and displacing massive amounts of water that sent waves up to 5m high crashing into densely populated areas on Sumatra and Java islands.
Dr Dwikorita said the two cracks appeared after the volcano’s height dropped from 338m to 110m following its eruptions. These cracks – which are close to each other – has sparked some concern for her agency as it may collapse.
Though new cracks have been spotted, Anak Krakatau’s volcanic activity has been decreasing, and the area around the volcano is still being monitored closely by the authorities.
BMKG last week installed six seismometers dedicated to monitoring the volcano. And Dr Dwikorita said that wave and rainfall sensors had been installed on Tuesday to look at the impact of eruptions on the height of waves.
Meanwhile, the transport ministry is keeping an eye on volcanic ash so that it can decide when flights should be rerouted.
President Joko Widodo spent the first working day of 2019 in Lampung on Sumatra island. It is one of the areas worst hit by the tsunami that left more than 430 people dead and injured over 14,000.
Source: Straits Times
Photo: Nurul Hidayat/Bisnis Indonesia via AP