Indonesia knew a volcano was erupting. Could it have prepared for it?
An expert advises Jakarta to take steps such as announcing evacuation routes and releasing maps following a pre-eruption alert
The eruption has renewed debate on whether Indonesia’s monitoring and disaster planning can be strengthened.
On Friday, the volcano, situated on the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, started its 25-hour “continuous” eruption, according to the Geological Agency.
The agency this week said the probability of further eruptions from Anak Krakatoa in the near future “remains high”, as the volcano could eject “incandescent rocks accompanied by heavy ashfall” as well as “lava flows”.
Volcanic ash reached as high as 50,000 feet (15,240 metres) on Monday, meteorological agency BMKG said.
