A volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia’s far east erupted in the early hours of Tuesday, spewing a cloud of dust 20 kilometers away
Post Date – 11:30 PM, Tuesday – 4/11/23
AP Photo
Moscow: A volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia’s far east erupted earlier Tuesday, sending a cloud of dust 20 kilometers (65,600 feet) high into the sky, blanketing a large area with ash.
The ash cloud from the eruption of Shiveluch, one of Kamchatka’s most active volcanoes, stretched more than 500 kilometers (more than 300 miles) northwest, engulfing several villages in gray ash.
Officials closed the skies over the area to aircraft. Local authorities advised residents to stay indoors. Schools in several affected communities were closed, and power was cut in two villages for several hours until emergency crews restored power.
The ash fell on a territory of 108,000 square kilometers (41,699 square miles), according to the Regional Branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Scientists described the aftermath as the largest in nearly 60 years.
The village of Klyuchi, about 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) from the volcano, was covered in an 8 centimeters (3 inches) thick layer of dust. Video posted by residents showed the ash cloud plunging the area into darkness.
Stretching into the Pacific Ocean about 6,600 kilometers (4,000 miles) east of Moscow, Kamchatka is one of the most geothermally active regions in the world, with some 30 active volcanoes.
