Islanders flee city as volcano rumour spreads

A rumour that a remnant of the legendary Krakatau volcano was erupting sent thousands of residents of Indonesia’s tsunami-hit Sumatra island fleeing in panic today.

Residents of the seaside town of Bandar Lampung ran for higher ground when a tale spread early today that Anak Krakatau, or the Son of Krakatau, was exploding and had caused a tsunami that was about to crash down on the town.

Those who fled returned only after daybreak, when they could see the volcano - and that no smoke was rising from it.

Anak Krakatau is a small volcanic island that rose into sight after the volcanic blast that tore apart Krakatau island in 1883.

The explosion, which echoed across a vast part of Asia, caused a tsunami that killed an estimated 37,000 people and sent ash and rock into the air that altered the Earth’s weather patterns for years, was the most powerful ever recorded: 30 times stronger than a nuclear bomb.

The island lies off Sumatra’s southern tip, on the same tectonic faultline as the undersea earthquake that sent tsunami waves crashing into Indian Ocean coastlines on December 26, though it is more than 1,000 miles away.

More than 128,000 people in Sumatra were among the more than 176,000 killed in the tsunami. The island has been rocked by countless smaller earthquakes since December 26, and many of its people remain jumpy.

It was unclear how the rumour began, but it quickly spread by word of mouth and text message. By about 2am, almost all the mosques in Bandar Lampung were broadcasting tsunami warnings from their loudspeakers, along with religious verses.

“People were running around shouting: 'The water is rising, Anak Krakatau is erupting'", said local police officer Lieutenant Ayatullah. “The panic increased when the mosques started telling people to run to higher ground.”

Police with loudspeakers toured the city, saying there was no danger and urging people to return to their homes, but it had little effect.

Unfounded rumours have sparked similar panic in other parts of Indonesia since the tsunami.

Last month, scientists said Anak Krakatau was showing fresh signs of activity, along with several other volcanoes in the seismologically active country. Krakatau is also known as Krakatoa.