The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region has fallen silent after its first known eruption in millennia. The eruption erupted on Sunday morning with an exceptional force, sending shockwaves across nearby communities.
Eyewitnesses described a thunderous blast that shattered the stillness of the desert and illuminated the sky with ash and fire. State broadcaster Fana said the explosion was among the most powerful volcanic events recorded in recent years.
A towering ash column rose over the region, drifting across villages and stirring deep concern among residents already accustomed to a harsh landscape. The Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center confirmed the eruption ceased shortly after it began but said the ash cloud continued travelling across continents.
It reported ash spreading over Yemen, Oman, India, and China, prompting regional aviation and weather alerts. Scientists noted the event’s rarity, as the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program holds no record of Hayli Gubbi erupting in the past 12,000 years.
Researchers say earlier major eruptions may exist in other geological databases that catalogue prehistoric volcanic activity. Hayli Gubbi lies within the broader Erta Ale volcanic system, a fiercely active zone along the East African Rift.
The region hosts several volcanoes known for periodic eruptions, lava lakes, and dramatic fissures running across the desert floor. Erta Ale itself has a long record of volcanic behaviour, including significant lava flows and eruptions over the past two decades.
A major eruption occurred at nearby Dalaffilla in 2008, sending rivers of lava across the remote landscape. Other activity between 2005 and 2020 contributed to the region’s reputation as one of the world’s most restless volcanic corridors.
Geologists say Sunday’s eruption underscores the unpredictable power of the rift system and the need for continued monitoring. For residents of Afar, the brief but fierce awakening of Hayli Gubbi served as a stark reminder of the land’s volatile nature.