Ethiopian Volcano Erupts After 12,000-Year Dormancy

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — A volcano in Ethiopia’s northeastern region erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending thick plumes of smoke up to 14 kilometers into the sky, as reported by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC). The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region about 800 kilometers northeast of Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border, erupted on Sunday for several hours. Rising about 500 meters in altitude, the volcano rests within the Rift Valley, known for intense geological activity at the convergence of two tectonic plates. The VAAC noted that ash clouds from the eruption spread over Yemen, Oman, India, and northern Pakistan.