An volcano in north-eastern the Ethiopian region has exploded for the first time in approximately 12,000 years, sending thick columns of smoke as high as 9 miles (14km) into the atmosphere, according to volcanic monitoring centers.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano, situated in Ethiopia’s Afar region about 500 miles north-east of the capital Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border, erupted on the past Sunday for a number of hours.
This volcano, which stands about 500 metres in altitude, resides within the Rift Valley, a area of intense geological movement where two continental plates meet.
Volcanic ash from the blast traveled over Yemen, Oman, the Indian subcontinent and Pakistan's northern areas, monitoring sources stated.
Satellite imagery depicting ash from the Hayli Gubbi volcanic event in Ethiopia.
In footage shared on online platforms, a thick plume of pale ash could be observed ascending, though confirmation was not immediately available.
Global volcanism programs stated that Hayli Gubbi has had no known eruptions during the Holocene, which started about 12,000 years ago at the conclusion of the most recent glacial period.
A volcanologist affirmed on a social platform that this volcano “has no record of Holocene eruptions”.
Local authorities have yet to responded regarding possible casualties or the count of evacuees.