A volcano in Ethiopia has erupted for the first known time in 10,000 years, spewing plumes of thick smoke and ash high into the sky and impacting air travel thousands of miles away in India.
The long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano in the Afar region in
Ethiopia's northeast roared to life Sunday, covering the neighboring villages
in dust and creating challenges for farmers.
Today's Hayli Gubbi (volcanic) eruption seen from space
— Science & Astronomy (@sci_astronomy) November 24, 2025
There are no known eruptions on record from the Hayli Gubbi in the past several thousands of years, which could mean it erupted after a potentially very long repose interval; however, records from the Danakil region are… pic.twitter.com/jaHvqMKZvQ
While no casualties were reported, the eruption poses a
threat to the local community of livestock herders by smothering vital grazing
lands, local administrator Mohammed Seid told The Associated Press.
Residents described hearing a terrifying blast at the moment
of the eruption.
"It felt like a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke
and ash," local resident Ahmed Abdela told the news agency.
Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia has erupted for the first time in thousands of years🌋
— ESA Earth Observation (@ESA_EO) November 24, 2025
Satellite images from @CopernicusEU Sentinel-5P (left) and @eumetsat's Meteosat-12 (right) captured the ash plume spreading across the region. pic.twitter.com/ynG1zVAV3v
The eruption was visible from satellites, with NASA images
showing thick plumes of dust rising into the sky and billowing across the Red
Sea.
Volcanic clouds from the eruption drifted over Yemen, Oman,
and into Pakistan and India, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory
Center.
Pakistan's Meteorological Department issued a warning after
ash entered its airspace late on Monday.
In India, flag carrier Air India cancelled several domestic
and international flights to carry out "precautionary checks on those
aircraft which had flown over certain geographical locations after the Hayli
Gubbi volcanic eruption," it said on X.
Delhi, which is experiencing a wave of severe air pollution,
is not expected to be significantly affected because the ash is drifting at a
high altitude, India's Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The plumes are expected to rapidly move eastwards, the IMD
added.
Located about 800 kilometers (500 miles) northeast of
capital Addi Ababa, Hayli Gubbi is the southernmost volcano of the Erta Ale
Range, a volcanic chain in Ethiopia's Afar region.
It rises about 500 meters in altitude and sits within a zone of intense geological activity where two tectonic plates meet.