Ash cloud from Ethiopian volcano eruption expected to reach southern Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:  An ash cloud from a volcanic eruption in northeastern Ethiopia is expected to reach southern Pakistan after drifting over Yemen and Oman, the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) said.

The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region about 800 kilometres northeast of Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border, erupted on Sunday for several hours. This was the first recorded eruption in nearly 12,000 years.

The eruption sent thick plumes of smoke up to 14 kilometres into the sky, blanketing nearby villages and drifting toward the Arabian Sea region.

The volcano, which rises about 500 metres in altitude, sits within the Rift Valley, a zone of intense geological activity where two tectonic plates meet.

A local resident told a media outlet that the eruption occurred eight kilometres from the main mountain itself.

“Afar TV … described a “massive eruption” late in the morning, noting that the force and sound of the blast were stronger than any previous events recalled by residents,” the Standard reported.

“‘We were extremely shocked by the sound and engulfed in fear,’ one resident said. Phone interviews conducted by the station indicated that the sound and its effects were felt as far away as Djibouti, Tigray and towns in the Wollo area.”

The explosion caused tremors in the surrounding area and could be heard as far away as Djibouti. The subsequent ash cloud plunged surrounding settlements into “near-darkness”.

The eruption began at 8:30am UTC (1:30pm PKT) and explosions continued throughout the afternoon.

“An advisory from the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) said ash rose to about 45,000 feet (13.7 km) before activity subsided,” the Ethiopian outlet reported, adding that according to the latest VAAC update they received, the eruption had reportedly stopped. Pakistan will come directly in its path. The cloud would arrive in approximately 18 hours. Monitoring Desk