Local media and international volcano monitoring agencies reported a volcanic eruption near Mount Erta Ale in the Ethiopia’s Afar region on Monday. The eruption is believed to be the first in the area in 10,000 years.

In a statement, the Afar Regional State Government Communications Bureau acknowledged the gravity of the situation and said it had deployed media outlets for continuous and in-depth coverage. The bureau described the eruption as unusually large and loud, a claim confirmed by journalists and local residents on Afar TV.

The eruption occurred approximately eight kilometers from Mount Erta Ale, one of East Africa’s most active volcanic sites, in the Kilbeti Rasu zone of Afdera district. Plumes of smoke and ash were reported spreading in multiple directions.

According to Afar TV, the explosion was so loud that it triggered tremors and minor shaking in Erta Ale and Afdera towns. Residents described being shocked and terrified by the sound, which was reportedly heard as far away as Djibouti, Tigray, and Wollo.

Witnesses said the volcano, located eight kilometers from the main Erta Ale mountain, had shown no prior signs of activity. A local wildlife conservation worker reported seeing smoke-like emissions three days earlier. Villagers said the eruption escalated suddenly, producing a deafening explosion that plunged the area into darkness under thick black smoke.

Professor Atalay Ayele, Head of the Seismology Department at the Institute of Geophysics, Space Science and Astronomy at Addis Ababa University, told FMC that the eruption was caused by the movement of active molten rock. He confirmed that geophysicists have been dispatched to study the situation.

Prof. Ayele explained that the Danakil Depression is an area of ongoing rift valley activity, where volcanic eruptions are typically driven by the erosion and movement of active rock. He warned that the explosion could release significant amounts of smoke and ash into the atmosphere and urged local communities to take necessary precautions.