Jakarta flights cancelled as volcano erupts

Passengers waited for news at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport as flights were cancelled on Sunday after Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano erupted.

Indonesia's Geological Agency said the volcano in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, showed signs of activity on Saturday. It erupted for about 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. Sunday.

Passengers at the country's busiest airport sought refunds and collected their checked baggage as departure boards showed a growing list of cancelled flights.

Some passengers remained calm despite the disruption.

"This is a force majeure natural disaster. There is nothing that we can do," said Indonesian traveller Michele Gouw.

Madrid resident Diego Urdiales had been due to fly home Sunday morning. He was waiting for more information.

"I mean, of course, it's an inconvenience," he said.

No casualties were reported following the eruption and there was no evacuation order. The nearest settlement is more than 16 kilometres (10 miles) away.

Authorities warned residents and visitors to stay at least three kilometres (1.9 miles) from the volcano's active crater.

Volcanic ash spread across parts of Jakarta and Lampung province on Sumatra, according to Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.

Soekarno-Hatta airport said it had temporarily suspended flight operations from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. because of increased volcanic activity.

Indonesia's volcanology agency and Australia's Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre identified two ash clouds using satellite imagery.

One plume rose to 20,000 feet (6,100 metres) and drifted northeast, affecting parts of Jakarta, Banten and West Java.

A second cloud reached 50,000 feet (15,200 metres) and moved west and northwest, covering parts of Banten, Lampung and Bengkulu, as well as the southern Sunda Strait and areas of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra.