A village has been left beneath 8cm of ash after a volcano erupted in Russia on Tuesday, spewing dust 12 miles into the sky.
The ash cloud from Shiveluch - one of the most actives volcanoes in Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula - engulfed several settlements and left the village of Klyuchi, 30 miles from the volcano, covered in a layer of grey volcanic dust 8cm deep.
Kamchatka governor Vladimir Solodov said there was no need for a mass evacuation but said some residents who have health issues could be temporarily evacuated.
Residents posted videos showing the ash cloud plunging the area into darkness.
Officials closed the skies to air traffic, while local authorities advised residents to stay indoors.
Schools in several affected communities were shut, and two villages had their power supplies cut for several hours until emergency crews restored them.
Clouds of dust were spewed 20km (65,600 feet) into the sky, while ash fell on 108,000sq km (41,699 square miles) of land, according to the regional branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Geophysical Survey.
— Hermes (@hermesisos) April 11, 2023
The scientists described the fallout as the biggest in nearly 60 years.
The Kamchatka Peninsula, which extends into the Pacific Ocean about 4,000 miles east of Moscow, is one of the world’s most concentrated area of geothermal activity, with about 30 active volcanoes.
The incident as led to concerns about how the eruption could impact global flight routes.
The Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team issued a red notice for aviation, saying “ongoing activity could affect international and low-flying aircraft.”
