Ethiopian volcano erupts for first time in 12,000 years | Ethiopia
A volcano in the northeastern region of Ethiopia has erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending thick plumes of smoke up to 14 kilometers into the sky, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC).
Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region, about 500 miles northeast of Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border, erupted for several hours on Sunday.
Rising to a height of approximately 500 meters, the volcano is located in the Rift Valley, a region of intense geological activity where two tectonic plates meet.
VAAC said ash clouds from the volcano drifted over Yemen, Oman, India and northern Pakistan.
A thick column of white smoke could be seen rising in videos shared on social media, which AFP could not immediately verify.
Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program, Hayli Gubbi No known eruptions during the HoloceneIt began at the end of the last ice age, about 12,000 years ago.
Simon Carn, a volcanologist and professor at Michigan Technological University, confirmed in Bluesky that Hayli Gubbi “has no record of Holocene eruptions.”
Afar officials have not yet responded to AFP’s questions about possible casualties or the number of displaced people.
