ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – A previously unrecordedโ eruptionโ from the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region began Sunday, sending ash plumes driftingโ acrossโ theโข Red Sea โtoward Yemen and Oman. โคThe eruption โhas blanketed nearby โขcommunities โin ash, disrupting travel and raising โconcerns for local livelihoods.
The long-dormant volcano’s eruption poses โimmediate โchallengesโ for residents of the Afar region,โฃ a โsparsely populated area reliant on livestockโ herding. While no casualties have been reported, extensive ashfall is impacting grazing lands โand โฃpotentially โthreatening food โคsecurity. โคThe event โalso disrupts tourismโข to the nearbyโค Danakil Desert, a popular destination for adventure travelers. authorities are monitoring the situation and assessing the long-term impact.Local administrator Mohammed Seid reported no prior record of eruptions from Hayli Gubbi, expressing worry over the economicโข consequencesโ for the โขregion.”While no human lives and livestock haveโ been lost so far, many villages have been covered in ash โฃandโ as a result their animals haveโข little to eat,” Seid toldโ The Associated Press.
The Toulouse Volcanic โฃAsh Advisoryโข Center in โFrance confirmed the eruption through satellite imagery. Resident Ahmed Abdela describedโ the event as a powerful shock, stating, “it felt like a suddenโ bombโ had been โฃthrown with smoke and ash.”
As of Monday, the village โฃofโ Afdera remained covered โin ash, โขstranding โฃtourists and guides en route โขto the Danakil Desert. Local authorities have released imagesโ and videos showing theโ important ash plume rising from the volcano. The Afar region isโ seismically active,and officials continue to monitor the situation for further developments.