Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi Volcano Erupts After 10,000 Years, Ash Clouds Disrupt Air Travel Across Asia

The long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region erupted for the first time in 10,000 years, sending thick plumes of ash and smoke into the atmosphere and impacting air travel thousands of miles away.

The volcano, located about 800 kilometers northeast of Addis Ababa, surged to life on Sunday, blanketing nearby villages with volcanic dust and posing a threat to livestock and farming communities. Local administrator Mohammed Seid told the Associated Press that while no casualties had been reported, grazing lands for herders were severely affected.

Residents described the eruption as a sudden and violent event. Ahmed Abdela said: “It felt like a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke and ash.” Satellite imagery from NASA showed the ash plumes rising high into the sky and drifting over the Red Sea.

Volcanic clouds from the eruption reached across Yemen, Oman, Pakistan, and India, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center. Pakistan’s Meteorological Department issued warnings after the ash entered its airspace late Monday.

In India, Air India cancelled multiple domestic and international flights to conduct precautionary checks on aircraft that had flown over regions affected by the volcanic ash. Delhi, already grappling with severe air pollution, is unlikely to be significantly impacted because the ash is drifting at high altitudes, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The IMD added that the ash plumes are expected to continue moving rapidly eastwards.

Hayli Gubbi, the southernmost volcano of the Erta Ale Range, rises about 500 meters and sits at a geologically active zone where two tectonic plates meet, explaining its potential for sudden eruptions.

The eruption marks a rare geological event in the Afar region, long known for its volcanic activity and tectonic movement, which attracts researchers studying plate dynamics and volcanic behavior.