Post by : Rameen Ariff

The long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano in northern Ethiopia has erupted, resulting in significant disruption across the region, including extensive flight cancellations. The ash cloud particularly affected the Afdera district in the Afar region, where thick layers of ash blanketed villages, leading to health complications for residents and food shortages for livestock.

Local villagers have reported respiratory issues due to airborne ash, and livestock are suffering as ash has buried vital resources like grass and water. To assist the most impacted neighborhoods, such as Fia and Nemma-Gubi, mobile medical teams have been deployed to provide immediate healthcare support.

The ash cloud expanded swiftly due to strong winds, crossing the Red Sea and traveling over Yemen, Oman, and the Arabian Sea before reaching parts of western and northern India. This phenomenon resulted in numerous international flights being canceled or delayed, particularly by Air India and Akasa Air, affecting travel to Middle Eastern destinations, including Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi.

In total, at least seven international flights were canceled, and over a dozen were delayed at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport as safety protocols were heightened in response to the ash cloud. Aviation authorities mandated thorough inspections for any aircraft that had operated over the impacted regions.

Geologists noted that volcanic activity is common in Ethiopia, which is situated within a geologically active rift system. Experts indicated that this represents the first eruption of the Hayli Gubbi volcano in approximately 10,000 years, predicting the eruption's intensity will diminish soon.

Indian meteorological agencies announced that the ash cloud was advancing eastward toward China and anticipated that clear skies would return to India by late Tuesday, allowing for normalcy to be restored.

This eruption has underscored the vulnerabilities faced by communities in active geological zones and the extensive repercussions that such natural events can have, ranging from international travel disruptions to health crises in local populations.

#Global News