After lying dormant for nearly 10,000 years, a remote Ethiopian volcano roared back to life in a sudden, violent burst that locals likened to a “bomb of smoke and ash.” Shocked eyewitnesses watched as the sky darkened and the ground trembled, with newly surfaced videos capturing the dramatic aftermath of the rare eruption.The eruption over the weekend sent vast plumes of ash drifting across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman. The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in the country’s Afar region, burst to life early Sunday, blanketing the nearby village of Afdera in thick layers of dust, sending ash upto a height of 15km.Local administrator Mohammed Seid confirmed that no casualties had been reported, but warned that the eruption could deal a serious blow to the area’s livestock-herding communities. With animals now struggling to graze on ash-covered land, he said that he feared the long-term economic fallout could be severe, the Associated Press reported. Seid also noted that there are no historical records of Hayli Gubbi erupting before, underscoring the shock felt by residents.“While no human lives and livestock have been lost so far, many villages have been covered in ash and as a result their animals have little to eat,” AP quoted him saying.
‘Felt like a sudden bomb’
Eyewitnesses described the moment the volcano erupted as nothing short of explosive. Many were jolted awake by a deep, thunderous roar that rolled across the Afar landscape, followed by a shockwave strong enough to rattle doors and windows. One resident, Ahmed Abdela, said the blast was so abrupt and forceful that “it felt like a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke and ash,” capturing the fear and confusion that swept through nearby villages as the sky rapidly darkened and the ground trembled beneath them.
