Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano erupts for first time in 12,000 years

The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region erupted on Sunday morning, covering nearby villages in dust, according to local media reports. The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program confirmed that this was the first recorded eruption of Hayli Gubbi in the past 12,000 years. Satellite images showed an ash cloud drifting over the Red Sea. Professor Atalay Ayele of Addis Ababa University told the BBC that the eruption was notable because the volcano had been dormant for millennia. He said the event was unusually loud but did not trigger major seismic activity. The volcano is l

The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region erupted on Sunday morning, covering nearby villages in dust, according to local media reports. The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program confirmed that this was the first recorded eruption of Hayli Gubbi in the past 12,000 years. Satellite images showed an ash cloud drifting over the Red Sea. Professor Atalay Ayele of Addis Ababa University told the BBC that the eruption was notable because the volcano had been dormant for millennia. He said the event was unusually loud but did not trigger major seismic activity. The volcano is located near Erta Ale, an area known for frequent volcanic activity. Local officials reported no casualties but warned that ash deposits could affect livestock owners by reducing available grazing land. The eruption also disrupted regional air travel. Indian carriers Air India and Akasa Air announced on Tuesday that they had cancelled several flights due to volcanic ash. Air India said it cancelled 11 flights on Monday and Tuesday to allow precautionary checks on aircraft that had flown over affected areas, in line with instructions from India’s aviation regulator. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the ash cloud was moving towards China and was expected to clear Indian airspace by 14:00 GMT on Tuesday. The volcano sent ash plumes up to 14 km (8.7 miles) high following the eruption. By Tuesday, the ash cloud had spread over parts of Pakistan and northern India, according to the tracking website Flightradar24, after passing over Yemen and Oman. Air operations across the region experienced disruptions, with IndiGo, Akasa Air, and KLM among the carriers affected.