Hong Kong families hit as volcanic ash strands up to 200 helpers in Indonesia

‘Of course we are worried, because it is a natural phenomenon ... If it does erupt again, we already have contingency plans in place,’ employment agencies association says

Up to 200 Hong Kong-bound domestic helpers remain stranded in Indonesia despite the reopening of several affected airports, as the city’s employment agencies association braces for possible further closures due to volcanic ash.

The Indonesian transport ministry said Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport resumed operations on Tuesday after being shut for several days, following the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatoa on Saturday, which affected thousands of travellers.

Among those stranded are 150 to 200 helpers heading to Hong Kong, including both new recruits and workers who had returned home for holidays, Cheung Kit-man, chairman of the Hong Kong Employment Agencies Association, said.

Some were expected to fly out on Wednesday as operations resumed, Cheung said, but agencies remained concerned flights could be suspended again if further eruptions occurred.

“Of course we are worried, because it is a natural phenomenon and [the volcano] can erupt at any time. No one can predict it,” Cheung said. “If it does erupt again, we already have contingency plans in place.”

He said some workers had been diverted to depart from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, located east of Jakarta and currently unaffected by the eruptions.