Volcano still poses a threat in Indonesia

The Indonesian government warned people to avoid the coast as the country raised the danger level on an island volcano that triggered a devastating tsunami over the weekend, killing at least 430 people. The Indonesian volcanology agency on Thursday raised the Anak Krakatau volcano alert status to the second-highest level and doubled the exclusion zone, rerouting all flights within a 3-mile radius.

“There’s still a chance of a landslide, even under the sea level or on the sea level,” said Rudy Sunendar, head of the energy ministry’s geology department.

An eruption of the volcano on Saturday is believed to have caused a landslide as part of the island in the Sunda Strait collapsed into the sea, generating waves more than 6½ feet high. Radar data from a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency satellite indicates the island volcano is dramatically smaller than before the landslide. With no earthquake ahead of time, the water swept over Java and Sumatra islands with no warning as residents celebrated Christmas. At least 159 people are still missing.