A geological giant has awakened in Ethiopia. The Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted on Sunday for the first time in nearly 12,000 years.
The massive explosion sent ash plumes 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) into the sky. Consequently, high-altitude winds carried the cloud across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman. Tracking data suggests the ash is moving quickly toward India and China.
“Like a Sudden Bomb”
The eruption occurred in the Afar region. This area is known for earthquakes, but an eruption of this scale shocked residents.
Locals in the neighboring village of Afdera described a terrifying scene. One resident said he heard a loud sound followed by a shockwave.
“It felt like a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke and ash,” the resident recalled.
Livestock at Risk
Local administrators provided an initial damage report. Fortunately, there are no human casualties so far. However, the community faces a severe economic threat.
The local population relies heavily on livestock herding. Now, the eruption has covered villages and grazing lands in thick ash.
“Many villages have been covered in ash,” said administrator Mohammed Seid. “As a result, their animals have little to eat.”
A Rare Geological Event
This eruption is a historic anomaly. Geological records confirm that Hayli Gubbi had no known eruptions during the Holocene epoch. This period began about 12,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age.
The sudden reactivation of such a long-dormant volcano has drawn global attention. Scientists are now closely monitoring the ash cloud as it drifts across Asia.
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