A volcano in northern Ethiopia, Hayli Gubbi, has erupted after a 12,000-year hiatus, sending massive plumes of ash and dust into the atmosphere that have disrupted flights in India and the United Arab Emirates.
The eruption occurred on Sunday at approximately 11:30am local time (08:30 GMT) according to an advisory issued by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) in France. The volcano, a shield volcano located about 800km northeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital city, has had no known eruptions for over 12,000 years.
Resident Ahmed Abdela described the eruption as feeling like "a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke and ash", adding that by Monday, his village was still covered in ash and tourists were stranded. Local administrator Mohammed Seid expressed concerns about the impact on local communities and their livestock, which depend on forage - plants eaten by animals - for their livelihoods.
The ash plume spread across the Red Sea, first over Yemen and Oman, then to Pakistan and India, according to monitoring website Flightradar24. Volcanic ash clouds contain abrasive particles that can damage aircraft engines, contaminate airfields, and reduce visibility, making flying hazardous.
In India, airlines cancelled flights as a precaution, including national carrier Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued advisories urging airlines to avoid affected altitudes and regions, warning that volcanic ash could harm aircraft engines.
The plumes have reportedly spread across several states in India, including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab. Airports were ordered to inspect runways for contamination.
Pakistan's meteorological service reported seeing the ash cloud 60 nautical miles south of the port city of Gwadar on Monday. In Oman, the Environment Authority activated its emergency response to monitor the ash clouds but reported no immediate impact on air quality.
The disruption caused by this eruption is reminiscent of severe volcanic ash eruptions in the past that have led to widespread travel chaos. One notable example was the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, which erupted continuously between March and June, sending plumes of volcanic ash over Scandinavia, the UK, and other European countries.
In April 2010, the UK was forced to close down its entire airspace for six days, during which time some 95,000 flights were cancelled. The airline industry lost $1.45bn during this prolonged shutdown. Air traffic across Europe was severely restricted as many countries continued to intermittently close their airspace, stranding about 1.2 million passengers each day.
The international community is closely monitoring the situation and advising airlines to exercise caution when flying through affected areas. However, no human lives or livestock have been lost so far in Ethiopia following the eruption, which has raised concerns about the impact on local communities and the environment.
The eruption occurred on Sunday at approximately 11:30am local time (08:30 GMT) according to an advisory issued by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) in France. The volcano, a shield volcano located about 800km northeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital city, has had no known eruptions for over 12,000 years.
Resident Ahmed Abdela described the eruption as feeling like "a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke and ash", adding that by Monday, his village was still covered in ash and tourists were stranded. Local administrator Mohammed Seid expressed concerns about the impact on local communities and their livestock, which depend on forage - plants eaten by animals - for their livelihoods.
The ash plume spread across the Red Sea, first over Yemen and Oman, then to Pakistan and India, according to monitoring website Flightradar24. Volcanic ash clouds contain abrasive particles that can damage aircraft engines, contaminate airfields, and reduce visibility, making flying hazardous.
In India, airlines cancelled flights as a precaution, including national carrier Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued advisories urging airlines to avoid affected altitudes and regions, warning that volcanic ash could harm aircraft engines.
The plumes have reportedly spread across several states in India, including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab. Airports were ordered to inspect runways for contamination.
Pakistan's meteorological service reported seeing the ash cloud 60 nautical miles south of the port city of Gwadar on Monday. In Oman, the Environment Authority activated its emergency response to monitor the ash clouds but reported no immediate impact on air quality.
The disruption caused by this eruption is reminiscent of severe volcanic ash eruptions in the past that have led to widespread travel chaos. One notable example was the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, which erupted continuously between March and June, sending plumes of volcanic ash over Scandinavia, the UK, and other European countries.
In April 2010, the UK was forced to close down its entire airspace for six days, during which time some 95,000 flights were cancelled. The airline industry lost $1.45bn during this prolonged shutdown. Air traffic across Europe was severely restricted as many countries continued to intermittently close their airspace, stranding about 1.2 million passengers each day.
The international community is closely monitoring the situation and advising airlines to exercise caution when flying through affected areas. However, no human lives or livestock have been lost so far in Ethiopia following the eruption, which has raised concerns about the impact on local communities and the environment.
this is just great news... a volcano erupting after 12k yrs of silence? what's next? gonna wake up to lava raining from the sky or something 
. seriously though, i'm all for a quick getaway, but not when it disrupts flights in india & uae... that's just a pain in the neck 
. and poor tourists stranded in ethiopia... don't even get me started on the livestock struggling with ash everywhere 
. just great.
I think this eruption highlights how unpredictable natural disasters can be 
. 12,000 years is a looong time to go without any activity from that volcano, so it's crazy that it just went off now 
. The impact on flights in India and the UAE is huge, but thankfully no lives or livestock have been lost... yet 
. I wonder how the local communities are dealing with all the ash and the disruption to their daily lives 
. The environment is definitely a concern too, especially since volcanic ash can be pretty harsh on the air quality 
. It's reassuring that the international community is keeping an eye on it and advising caution for airlines 
.
Just saw this news about Hayli Gubbi volcano erupting after 12k years... super crazy! I'm both relieved it hasn't affected human lives yet, but worried about the impact on local wildlife and farmers' livelihoods. Those ash clouds can be harsh on engines and air quality, so I hope airlines take precautions 
. Reminds me of that major Eyjafjallajokull eruption in Iceland back in 2010, which was a real disaster for travelers... fingers crossed this one gets resolved quickly 
. Seriously though, hope everyone in India and UAE stays safe and gets back to their normal lives soon!
ash everywhere! i feel bad for the tourists stuck in the village with no way out 
but at the same time, airlines have to think about their engines and safety too 
️
. like they're just chillin under the earth for 12,000 years, waiting to send massive ash clouds into the air disrupting flights everywhere... 
. some ppl are worried about the impact on local communities and livestock, but at the same time, its not like theres anythin bad happenin yet 
. i mean, the uk had a major airspace shutdown back in 2010 cuz of another volcano eruption 
...
this is crazy, 12k yrs no eruption, then BAM! huge ash cloud across multiple countries... indian airlines cancelling flights is wild 
it's like they say "better safe than sorry" 
now lets hope India and UAE airlines get their flights back on track 
Oh man, can you believe that volcano erupted after 12k yrs 
Flights are getting cancelled left & right 
India's got a major problem with ash clouds covering parts of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi... it's like a big blanket of grey dust 
! Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland was bad, but this one's spreading across the Red Sea 
. The international community is keeping an eye on it 
, and airlines are advised to be cautious when flying through affected areas 
air traffic is already stressful enough without volcanic ash getting in the way 
Hopefully, this situation doesn't get out of hand.
this is gonna be a mess... flights cancelled already in India and now Pakistan's got ash clouds too 
The fact that it's disrupting travel in multiple countries is already causing chaos, and I'm sure it'll be a while before things get back to normal. 