Indonesia raises alert level on erupting volcano

By Mahmut Atanur </p> <p>CARITA, Indonesia (AA) – Indonesian authorities raised the alert level of the Anak Krakatoa volcano Thursday in the wake of last weekend's eruption-triggered tsunami that killed 430 and left 159 others missing.</p> <p>The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency said the alert status at Mt. Anak Krakatau was raised to Level 3, one notch below the highest level, at 6 a.m., Japan’s Kyodo News Agency reported. Flights around the volcano have also been rerouted.</p> <p> The eruption of the volcano around 9:30 p.m. local time Saturday caused a section of the crater to collapse and slide into the ocean, sending waves up to 16 feet (5 meters) high crashing into the coast on the Sunda Strait.</p> <p> Hundreds of homes, shops and vessels were also destroyed.</p> <p>Indonesia lies within the Pacific Ocean’s &quot;Ring of Fire,&quot; where tectonic plates collide and cause frequent seismic and volcanic activity.</p> <p>In September, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country's Sulawesi Island, triggering a tsunami that towered up to 10 feet (3 meters) high and killed over 2,000 people.</p> <p>The IHH was one of the first aid groups in Turkey to reach the victims immediately after the earthquake and tsunami. </p> <p>On Dec. 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck the eastern coast of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami that killed around 230,000 people as it tore along the coasts of Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.