Volcano erupts for first time in 10,000 years causing flight disruption

A volcano in Ethiopia, which has remained dormant for around 10,000 years, suddenly erupted sending a massive plume of ash into the air.

The major eruption at Hayli Gubbi volcano, in the northeastern part of the country, happened at around 8.30am UTC on Sunday, according to Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC).

It caused an enormous column of ash that rose rising 9 to 14 kilometers into the atmosphere, before drifting over Yemen and Oman.

According to VAAC, the ash is now moving over northern India.

The organisation has advised pilots avoid flying through the ash, and some airlines, including a number operating out of Mumbai Airport in India, have said there could be delays on domestic and international flights as a result.

A spokesman from Heathrow Airport told Metro its flights do not appear to have been affected, but it would monitor the situation.

Flightradar24.com posted a global flight map on social media last night showing a long strip of red representing the most severe ash, starting in Ethiopia and stretching as far as northern Myanmar and into China.

The Hayli Gubbi eruption, which was watched by thousands of Ethiopians, has been described as one of the most extraordinary volcanic awakenings in the region’s recorded history.

Activity continued throughout the day, but has since stopped.

Hayli Gubbi sits to the southeast of the Erta Ale volcanic chain in Ethiopia’s Afar Rift – one of East Africa’s most active volcanic zones and the site of a persistent lava lake.

The volcano, which rises about 500m in altitude, is also located within Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression, among the hottest and most isolated places on the planet.

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