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After 12,000 Years, Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi Erupts, Then Subsides Within Hours

Experts call for continued monitoring given the volcano’s position in the tectonically active East African Rift.

Overview

  • The volcano erupted for several hours on Sunday before ending the same day, with the Toulouse VAAC detecting the event by satellite and ash tops near 14 kilometers.
  • Ash plumes drifted north and east across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman, with dispersion extending to India and northern Pakistan.
  • Local officials reported no human casualties to date, though regional authorities have not released formal tallies of injuries or displacement.
  • Ashfall coated the nearby town of Afdera, stranded tourists and guides bound for the Danakil desert, and raised concerns for pastoral livelihoods due to reduced grazing.
  • The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program and volcanologist Simon Carn note no recorded Holocene eruptions at Hayli Gubbi, underscoring the rarity of the event.