Indonesia shuts airports as volcano erupts

{"text":[[{"start":9.48,"text":"Indonesia has closed eight airports and cancelled hundreds of flights as a volcanic eruption spread ash across the country."}],[{"start":17.16,"text":"Anak Krakatau, located between Java and Sumatra, has been erupting since late on Friday, spewing plumes of smoke tens of thousands of feet into the air and sending volcanic ash across Indonesia’s two most populous islands."}],[{"start":31.96,"text":"Eight airports were forced to shut, while 1,558 international and domestic flights have been cancelled or delayed as of Sunday, the transport ministry said. More than 170,000 passengers have been affected."}],[{"start":45.64,"text":"In Jakarta, the world’s largest city, more than 960 flights have been affected. The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport was closed on Sunday and into Monday morning."}],[{"start":56.52,"text":"“We cannot yet determine when it will end because the weather is too dynamic,” transport minister Dudy Purwagandhi said in a statement on Monday. Airlines will need to conduct inspections of aircraft engines before operating them, he said."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":70.76,"text":"Authorities have urged residents of the affected areas in Java and Sumatra to stay indoors and wear protective masks. Residents of both islands have reported respiratory illness and irritation to skin and eyes, according to local media, and some schools switched to online classes on Monday."}],[{"start":88.12,"text":"Volcanic ash was also detected in Jakarta and surrounding areas, worsening already poor air quality in the congested city. Wildfires on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra have spread haze across the region in recent weeks, affecting millions of people in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines."}],[{"start":106.68,"text":"According to BMKG, the Indonesian agency for meteorology, climatology and geophysics, ash from Anak Krakatau has been detected up to 20,000 feet to the east of the volcano and at an altitude of 50,000 feet to the west. The latest eruption was recorded at 8.23pm on Sunday, the agency said."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":126.4,"text":"Anak Krakatau, meaning child of Krakatau, emerged from the caldera formed by the explosion of Krakatau in 1883 — one of the deadliest and most destructive eruptions in history."}],[{"start":137.88,"text":"The volcano has been sporadically active since then. An explosion in 2018 triggered a tsunami that killed more than 400 people and displaced thousands."}],[{"start":152.4,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1788759612_2566.mp3"}