Indonesia's Child of Krakatoa erupts, prompting explosive sounds heard 250 km away

Eruption of Anak Krakatau, observed by Himawari-9 satellite (5/9/2026). WeatherFront.

JAKARTA, Sept 5 (TokoKata) — Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano erupted continuously for several hours early on Saturday, producing a persistent red glow resembling a lava fountain and prompting residents in parts of Banten and West Java to report booming sounds and ground vibrations.

Anak Krakatau is an active volcano that grew from the remains of the famous Krakatoa volcano.

In 1883, Krakatoa produced one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recorded history. Much of the volcanic island collapsed into the sea.

Afterward, volcanic activity continued beneath the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra. In 1927, a new volcanic cone emerged from the sea. It became known as Anak Krakatau, meaning “Child of Krakatoa.”

Anak Krakatau is in the Sunda Strait, between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra.

The eruption began at 11:07 p.m. local time on Friday and was still continuing at 4:40 a.m. on Saturday, with rumbling sounds heard at the Krakatau volcano observation post in Pasauran, Banten, said Lana Saria, head of the Geological Agency at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.

"The height of the eruption column could not be observed, but the continuous bright-red colour of the eruptive bursts was clearly visible," Lana said in a special report on the volcano.

She said the phenomenon resembled a lava fountain, which can produce lava flows, and was a common feature of prolonged eruptions.

The activity followed a series of Strombolian eruptions that began on July 2, producing incandescent rock fragments and volcanic ash. Anak Krakatau has remained at Level III, or Alert, since then.

The Geological Agency classifies Anak Krakatau as an active Type A volcano located in the Sunda Strait, administratively part of South Lampung district in Lampung province.

No immediate tsunami risk seen

Despite the increase in volcanic activity, the Geological Agency said the current structure of Anak Krakatau remained relatively small after the volcano's major collapse during the Dec. 22, 2018 eruption.

An evaluation found that its post-2018 growth did not currently pose a risk of a large-scale collapse capable of triggering a tsunami, Lana said.

Authorities were continuing to closely monitor changes in volcanic activity and the volcano's morphology.

The main hazards at present were lava flows and incandescent rock fragments, while authorities also warned of hot clouds and heavy ashfall.

The Geological Agency has prohibited residents, visitors, tourists and climbers from entering an area within 3 km of the volcano's centre of activity.

Residents along the Banten and Lampung coasts were advised to remain calm and continue their activities while following instructions from local disaster agencies.

Ferries continue operating

Ferry services between Bakauheni in Lampung and Merak in Banten were operating normally on Saturday morning despite the eruption.

Bakauheni port is more than 50 km, or about 30 nautical miles, from Anak Krakatau, said Suratno, head of the Bakauheni Port Authority and Harbormaster's Office.

"There has been no effect at all on the ferry service from Bakauheni so far," Suratno said, according to Kompas.com.

All 28 vessels normally operating on the Bakauheni-Merak route remained in service, with no reduction in the fleet because of the volcanic activity.

Authorities were monitoring the possibility of volcanic ash affecting shipping, but no ash had been reported to be disrupting operations from the Bakauheni side as of Saturday morning.

Residents report tremors and explosions

The eruption caused concern among residents in coastal Carita, Pandeglang, Banten, where some people reported feeling vibrations and hearing loud explosions.

Rizqi Baidullah, a resident of Banjarmasin village in Carita, said vibrations began at about 2 a.m. local time and continued intermittently into the morning.

He said windows and curtains shook during some of the tremors, while a loud booming sound accompanied by vibrations was heard at about 7:30 a.m.

Some parents kept their children home from school, while several residents prepared bags containing important documents and belongings in case an evacuation became necessary.

No official evacuation order had been issued by local authorities at the time, Rizqi said.

Residents' concerns were heightened by memories of the December 2018 Sunda Strait tsunami, which was triggered by a collapse of Anak Krakatau and killed more than 400 people.

"We have the trauma of the 2018 tsunami, so that trauma is being felt again now," Rizqi said.

Similar booming and rumbling sounds were reported in the Bandung area of West Java during the early hours of Saturday. Residents said the sounds were strong enough in some places to cause windows, doors and ceilings to vibrate.

Rita Susilowati, head of the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), said the booming sounds had also been heard at the Anak Krakatau observation post in Pasauran.

Reports from several parts of Banten and West Java were believed to be associated with Anak Krakatau's eruption occurring at the same time, she said.

How far is Anak Krakatau from Banten and Bandung?

Anak Krakatau is relatively close to the Banten coast. The volcano is roughly 40 km from the Carita coast and around 40–45 km from the Anyer area, depending on the point measured. Banten authorities have previously cited a distance of about 40 km to the coast.

Bandung is much farther away — approximately 250–260 km from Anak Krakatau in a straight line. The exact distance varies depending on the point in Greater Bandung being measured.

The large distance does not necessarily rule out reports of booming sounds in Bandung. Explosive volcanic eruptions can generate sound and low-frequency atmospheric waves that travel considerable distances, although reports from distant locations still require confirmation by monitoring agencies before being definitively attributed to a volcano.

For now, authorities are urging the public to follow official information from the Geological Agency and local disaster-management agencies rather than relying on unverified reports on social media.