Prabowo Urges Calm, Prays for Public Safety as Anak Krakatau Erupts

Indonesian President Calls for Composure and Vigilance as Anak Krakatau Volcano Continues Erupting

Tempatdonasi.com – President Prabowo Subianto addressed the Indonesian public on Sunday, urging residents to maintain composure while staying alert as volcanic activity at Mount Anak Krakatau persisted across multiple days. The message, shared through his personal Instagram handles @prabowo and @presidenrepublikindonesia, directed citizens in Jakarta, Banten, Lampung, and communities bordering the Sunda Strait to heed official guidance, keep distance from the active volcano, and respect all designated exclusion zones.

The eruption sequence had been ongoing since early September, with the Geological Agency under the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry documenting explosive activity that carried glowing rock fragments and dense plumes of volcanic ash into the surrounding atmosphere. The volcano’s alert status had already been elevated to Level III — designated “Alert” — back on July 2, 2026, signaling that residents and visitors should expect hazardous conditions in the immediate vicinity of the crater.

Presidential Message: Prayer, Protection, and Public Duty

In his written statement, Prabowo framed the situation as one requiring both spiritual solidarity and practical caution. He called on fellow Indonesians to join in prayer for the well-being of communities situated near the volcano and the strait, as well as for populations elsewhere in the archipelago dealing with concurrent natural disasters.

“Let us pray together that Allah SWT will always protect all Indonesians, especially our brothers and sisters living around Mount Anak Krakatau and the Sunda Strait, as well as those in various parts of the country who are currently facing disasters and hardship. May they be granted safety, strength and resilience in facing every challenge.”

The president then laid out specific behavioral expectations for residents in affected corridors:

“The President urges everyone, particularly those in Jakarta, Banten, Lampung and areas around the Sunda Strait, to remain calm, stay vigilant, follow all instructions from the government and authorities on the ground, and stay away from Mount Anak Krakatau. They must also fully comply with the danger zones and safety boundaries established by the authorities.”

Government Agencies Placed on Continuous Monitoring Duty

Prabowo issued direct instructions to a broad coalition of state bodies tasked with tracking the eruption and managing its downstream effects. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police, provincial and municipal governments, and relevant ministries within his cabinet — including the Health Ministry and the Transportation Ministry — were all ordered to sustain round-the-clock surveillance of the volcano’s behavior.

Beyond observation, the president mandated that emergency-response protocols remain fully activated and that affected residents receive timely protection and material assistance. For populations exposed to falling ash, he emphasized the necessity of respiratory safeguards such as face masks, advised limiting time spent outdoors during periods of heavy ashfall, and directed the public to follow health guidance issued by medical officials and local administrators.

“The President will continue to monitor developments and take whatever decisions and measures are necessary to ensure the safety and protect all Indonesians,” Prabowo said.

Geological Context: A Young Volcano in a Restless Arc

Anak Krakatau — literally “Child of Krakatau” — is a relatively recent addition to the Indonesian volcanic landscape. It emerged from the caldera left by the catastrophic 1883 eruption of Krakatau, one of the most powerful volcanic events in recorded history. Situated in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, the cone sits atop a submarine ridge where the Indo-Australian plate subducts beneath the Sunda plate, making sustained eruptive activity a recurring feature of the region.

The Geological Agency confirmed that explosive episodes continued from Friday, September 4, through Saturday morning, September 5, 2026, ejecting incandescent fragments and generating ash columns visible from considerable distances. A further eruption was logged at 7:10 a.m. local time on Sunday, September 6, underscoring that the volcano remained in an active phase. Primary hazards identified around the crater include lava flows potentially accompanied by ballistic rock fragments, prompting authorities to bar entry within a three-kilometer radius of the volcano’s center of activity.

Broader Implications for Aviation and Coastal Communities

The Sunda Strait is one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors, linking the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean and carrying substantial commercial shipping. Ashfall and altered wind patterns associated with sustained eruptions can affect flight paths over western Java and eastern Sumatra, prompting the Transportation Ministry to coordinate with aviation authorities on route adjustments. Coastal fishing villages in Lampung and Banten, meanwhile, face compounded risks from ash deposition on crops, reduced visibility at sea, and the psychological strain of living within sight of an active cone.

As Gerindra Party chairperson as well as head of state, Prabowo closed his public message with a renewed appeal for communal solidarity:

“May Allah SWT always protect all Indonesians.”

With the alert level holding at III and no indication of a downgrade, residents in the strait corridor are expected to remain in a state of heightened readiness through the coming days, relying on official channels for updates rather than informal rumor. The coordinated monitoring framework Prabowo outlined — spanning meteorological observation, military logistics, police crowd management, and public-health intervention — represents the standard Indonesian response architecture for active volcanic crises, now operating at full capacity around one of the archipelago’s most geologically restless features.