Editorial
When the volcano exploded on Aug. 27, 1883, it destroyed the island on which it stood, killed almost 40,000 people in the surrounding area of Java and Sumatra, sent rafts of pumice to Africa, covered the Red Sea in ash and made barometers as far away as Washington, DC go haywire.
Anak Krakatau volcano spews smoke and ash on Sept. 5, 2026. (Courtesy: Geological Agency/-)
The last time Mount Krakatau erupted in 1883, it was the kind of volcanic eruption that went down in the history books.
When the volcano exploded on Aug. 27, 1883, it destroyed the island on which it stood, killed almost 40,000 people in the surrounding area of Java and Sumatra, sent rafts of pumice to Africa, covered the Red Sea in ash and made barometers as far away as Washington, DC go haywire.
