Pakistan issues historic volcanic ash alert after Ethiopia eruption
Pakistan’s Meteorological Department confirmed on Monday that the volcanic ash from the eruption had reached around 60 nautical miles south of Gwadar.
Officials said this marked the first time Pakistan had issued an alert related to volcanic ash from an international eruption.
The ash cloud is currently positioned at an altitude of approximately 45,000 feet.
Aviation expert Anjum Nazir Zaigham noted that domestic flights in Pakistan usually operate between 34,000 and 36,000 feet, while international aircraft fly between 40,000 and 45,000 feet, making high-altitude ash a potential risk for jet engines.
However, Zaigham clarified that Karachi and other urban areas face no immediate threat from air pollution or hazardous conditions, as the ash remains far offshore and at high altitude. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure aviation safety.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region near the Eritrean border, rises about 500 metres above sea level and sits within the geologically active Rift Valley, where two tectonic plates converge.
Ash clouds from the volcano drifted over Yemen, Oman, India, and northern Pakistan, the VAAC said.
In videos shared on social media, which AFP could not immediately verify, a thick column of white smoke can be seen rising.
The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program said Hayli Gubbi has had no known eruptions during the Holocene, which began around 12,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age.
Simon Carn, a volcanologist and professor at the Michigan Technological University, confirmed on Bluesky that Hayli Gubbi “has no record of Holocene eruptions”.
Afar authorities have not yet responded to AFP inquiries about possible casualties or the number of displaced people.
from Latest Pakistan News - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/6ZQGdK8
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