Prabowo Issues Directives on Handling Anak Krakatau Eruption

Volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait has affected five provinces across Sumatra and Java. President Prabowo Subianto has issued an appeal to the public and directives to ministries and agencies on handling the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.

The appeal to the public was conveyed by Prabowo through the official Instagram account @presidenrepublikindonesia on Sunday (6/9). Residents in the Jakarta area and the region around the Sunda Strait were asked to follow the instructions given by the government and officials regarding the Anak Krakatau eruption.

“The President urges all members of the public, particularly our brothers and sisters in the Jakarta, Banten, Lampung, and the area around the Sunda Strait, to remain calm, increase vigilance, and follow all instructions from the government and officers in the field, and not to approach the Mount Anak Krakatau area and to fully comply with the danger zone and safe limits that have been set by the authorities,” wrote the @presidenrepublikindonesia account.

Prabowo confirmed that the government has given attention to the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption. All relevant ministries and agencies have been deployed to monitor the situation intensively and regularly.

“From the outset, the President has been monitoring the development of Mount Anak Krakatau’s activity and receiving reports and the latest information from relevant officials. The President has ordered all government ranks, BNPB, BMKG, TNI, Polri, regional governments, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Transportation, as well as relevant ministries and agencies to continue monitoring the development of the situation, ensure all elements of preparedness are functioning well, and provide the necessary protection and assistance to the public,” the account wrote.

Residents affected by volcanic ash were also asked to maintain their health. Those who must carry out activities outside the home were urged to use masks or other respiratory protective equipment.

Prabowo also asked the public to remain calm, but not to reduce their level of vigilance regarding the impact of the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption. The government has made public safety a priority.

“The public is urged to remain calm, but must not be complacent. The President will continue to monitor developments and take every decision and step necessary to ensure the safety and protection of all Indonesian people,” Prabowo appealed.

“May Allah SWT always provide protection to all Indonesian people,” he continued.

Impact of Anak Krakatau Eruption Spreads to 5 Provinces

Head of the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Lana Saria, said volcanic ash from the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption has spread to five provinces. The five provinces are Banten, parts of West Java, DKI Jakarta, Lampung, and Bengkulu.

“And based on combined information on the eruption and VONA (Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation) from PVMBG through Magma Indonesia, information from VAAC (Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre) Darwin as well as analysis of Himawari-9 satellite imagery by BMKG, that volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau has been observed spreading in the atmosphere towards Banten, parts of West Java, and also DKI Jakarta, as well as Lampung and Bengkulu,” said Lana in an online press conference on Sunday (6/9).

Lana said the direction of the volcanic ash spread from Mount Anak Krakatau could change at any time. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources urged the public to remain indoors while volcanic ash continues to be ejected by Anak Krakatau.

“The direction and range of the ash spread can change depending on the direction and speed of the ash fall. Therefore, as I mentioned earlier, it is advised not to carry out activities outdoors and to follow official information from the government,” she said.

The Geological Agency also reported on the development of monitoring of Mount Anak Krakatau’s eruption on Saturday (5/9), stating that the eruption was the highest activity of Anak Krakatau since July 2026. In addition, Lana explained the cause of the repeated eruptions of Mount Anak Krakatau.

“We are currently experiencing a volcanic eruption, Mount Anak Krakatau, where this volcano actually began to be active in July 2026 and the highest activity was yesterday, 5 September 2026. So there are certainly some concerns regarding the activity of Mount Krakatau, that the current activity of Mount Krakatau has indeed increased compared to the previous period, marked by repeated and continuous eruptions,” said Lana.

Lana said the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources continues to monitor Mount Anak Krakatau, whose activity continues to increase. Monitoring is not only based on the number or height of eruption columns.

“This condition indicates that there is still an ongoing supply of magma and gas within the body of the volcano. However, frequent eruptions do not automatically mean that a larger eruption will occur, as the Geological Agency will certainly continue to evaluate the development of activity based on all monitoring data. Not only based on the number or height of eruption columns,” she added.