화산 폭발로 인도네시아 여행객 34만 명 발발이

Imagine you are ready to fly home. You wait at the airport. But suddenly, the airport closes. Nobody can fly. This happened to 340,000 people in Indonesia last week.

A volcano named Anak Krakatau caused this problem. The volcano sits about 150 kilometers from Jakarta, Indonesia's capital city. On Friday night, the volcano suddenly erupted. Hot lava came out. Ash filled the sky. The ash was very thick and dangerous.

When volcanoes erupt, they release ash into the air. This ash is not like ash from a fire. It is hard and sharp. It can damage airplane engines. For this reason, airports must close when ash is in the sky. Planes cannot fly safely.

The Indonesian government made a difficult choice. They closed the airports near the volcano. Hundreds of thousands of people could not fly. They had to wait. Families waited in airports. Some people waited in hotels. Everyone wanted to go home, but nobody could leave.

However, the good news came quickly. The volcano stopped erupting after a short time. The ash began to disappear. The air became cleaner. After a few days, the airports opened again. Planes started flying. People finally went home.

Volcanoes are powerful and unpredictable. They remind us that nature is very strong. When a volcano erupts, thousands of people can be affected. But people are also strong and patient. They waited together. Now the airports work normally again.

Have you ever experienced a travel delay? Or do you live near a volcano?

Inspired by reporting from BBC News.