In early September 2026, Mount Anak Krakatau unleashed a violent, continuous 25-hour eruption in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, spewing massive lava fountains and sending a towering plume of volcanic ash 50,000 feet into the upper atmosphere.
The dramatic eruption forced government authorities to temporarily close six regional airports—including Jakarta’s main international transportation hub—grounding more than 300 flights and sending loud booming blasts and ground tremors echoing across the neighboring islands of Java and Sumatra.
And with the most recent explosion, it echoed previous instances – and reignited the fears of a potential mega-tsunami, like has been seen in the past. The renewed volcanic explosion reignited widespread panic and tsunami fears among vulnerable coastal communities in Banten and Lampung provinces.
In the YouTube video above, the narrator explains:
“Krakatau has produced a tsunami in the past. And it can do it again.”
History provides terrifying precedent in the Sunda Strait: in August 1883, the original Krakatoa volcano exploded in a cataclysmic blast that produced what is widely cited as the loudest sound in recorded human history—heard over 3,000 miles away across the Indian Ocean. That historic explosion generated towering 120-foot tsunamis that completely obliterated 165 coastal villages and killed more than 36,000 people.
More recently, in December 2018, a partial underwater flank collapse of Anak Krakatau—known as the “Child of Krakatoa”—slid directly into the ocean, triggering a deadly, unannounced tsunami that killed over 430 people and injured thousands along the surrounding shorelines without any preliminary seismic warning.
Per NOAA: “Waves over 260 feet (80 meters) in height were measured at nearby islands that formerly made up the single large volcanic island of Krakatau.”
Here’s a look at the very dramatic latest eruption of Kraktau:
Seeking to reassure anxious coastal residents following the latest explosive sequence, Head of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, Lana Saria, confirmed that while the volcano remains at Alert Level III, immediate fears of a massive underwater landslide remain unfounded:
“Following the end of that episode, Mount Anak Krakatau’s volcanic activity transitioned back to Strombolian eruption characteristics… Public, tourists, and climbers should avoid approaching within the three-kilometer danger radius.”
The Geological Agency further clarified that Anak Krakatau’s post-2018 physical growth remains relatively small, reassuring the surrounding public that “there is no potential for a collapse large enough to trigger a tsunami.”
Nevertheless, with continuous volcanic tremors ongoing, Indonesian authorities urge coastal residents to stay calm, refrain from spreading unverified rumors, and wear protective face masks against hazardous volcanic ash fall.
Related: Collapsing Greenland Glacier Sends Giant Tsunami Wave Crashing into Tour Boat (Video)
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