The long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region erupted on Sunday morning, reportedly for the first time in approximately 12,000 years (since the beginning of the Holocene geological era). The explosion, which residents described as a “shock wave” or a “sudden bomb,” has had both local and international consequences.
Local Impact in Ethiopia
The eruption has severely affected the immediate neighboring community:
- Village Covered: The nearby village of Afdera was immediately blanketed in thick dust and ash.
- Eyewitness Account: Ahmed Abdela, a resident of the Afar region, said the village near the tourist attraction of the Danakil desert was still covered in ash on Monday, and the eruption left tourists and guides stranded.
- Economic Concern: A local administrator, Mohammed Seid, confirmed there were no human casualties but warned that the eruption could deal a severe blow to the local community of livestock herders. He stated that many villages are now covered in ash, leaving little for their animals to graze and raising fears of a long-term economic fallout.
International Impact and Flight Disruption
The volcano sent ash plumes up to 14 km (45,000 feet) high, which quickly began to drift eastward across international borders:
- Ash Drift: The ash clouds crossed the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman before continuing over the Arabian Sea and entering the Indian subcontinent, reaching Delhi on Monday night.
- Flight Cancellations: The ash plumes forced several airlines to cancel flights and perform precautionary checks:
- Air India cancelled at least 11 flights since Monday, including both international and domestic routes, and began conducting precautionary checks on aircraft that had flown over affected locations.
- Akasa Air halted scheduled flights with Middle East destinations, including Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the ash clouds are expected to continue drifting toward China and move away from Indian skies by Tuesday evening.