Volcano eruption leaves 170,000 passengers stranded in Indonesia
Sunday, 6 September 2026
Warm-up
- Have you ever had a flight delayed or cancelled? What happened?
- What safety steps should people take during a volcano eruption?
- How can airlines help passengers when plans change suddenly?
Vocabulary
- stranded
- unable to leave a place because of a problem or lack of transport
- ash
- fine powder from a volcano that can harm engines and lungs
- suspend
- to stop something for a short time and plan to restart it later
- eruption
- when a volcano pushes out ash, gas, and lava
- seismic
- related to movements in the earth that cause shaking
- refund
- money returned to a customer after a service is not provided
- tsunami
- a very large sea wave usually caused by an earthquake or volcano
- meteorological
- related to weather and the study of the atmosphere
Reading
Around 170,000 airline passengers are stranded in Indonesia after ash from Anak Krakatau led authorities to suspend operations at eight airports. Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport was the first to close on Sunday morning after ash was detected in nearby airspace. The transport ministry said 1,558 flights were delayed, and airports would stay shut until midnight.
Anak Krakatau began erupting late on Friday, with continuous seismic activity, lava fountains and loud booms. Two more eruptions followed early on Sunday. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi expanded closures as tests showed ash spreading towards West Java, and he urged airlines to speed up refunds and give clear updates to passengers.
Indonesia's meteorological agency BMKG reported ash as high as 20,000ft over Java and 50,000ft towards Sumatra. There is no tsunami warning. People in affected areas were told to stay indoors and wear masks. The volcano sits in the Sunda Strait and collapsed in 2018, causing a deadly tsunami.
Comprehension
- How many passengers were stranded in Indonesia?
- How many airports closed due to the ash?
- Which airport closed first, and on which day?
- How many flights were delayed, and until when were airports shut?
- What safety advice was given to people in affected areas?
Grammar focus
Connecting words
Connecting words link ideas in a sentence: use words like because, so, and, but to show cause, result or addition. Use the connector that fits the meaning between the clauses. (Examples constructed.)
- Flights were delayed **because** ash spread in the air.
- Passengers stayed indoors **and** wore masks to protect themselves.
Grammar exercise
Circle the correct option in each sentence.
- Passengers were delayed (because / although) ash spread.
- Airports closed, (although / so) many flights were delayed.
- People were told to stay indoors (but / and) wear masks.
- The minister urged refunds (because / so) passengers were stranded.
- Anak Krakatau collapsed in 2018, (so / because) it caused a tsunami.
Discussion
- Should airports close quickly when ash is detected? Why or why not?
- How should airlines handle refunds and rebooking after disruptions?
- What information do travellers most need during an eruption?
- How can cities reduce health risks from ash in the air?
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