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Photos: Ashfall widespread as Russian volcano continues to erupt

Shiveluch on the Kamchatka Peninsula is 60,000 to 70,000 years old and is one of the largest volcanoes in Russia.

Russia Volcanic Eruption
Volcanic ash covers the ground and houses after the Shiveluch volcano erupted in Klyuchi village on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. [Yury Demyanchuk/AP Photo]
Published On 12 Apr 2023

A volcano spewed out ash for a second day on Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, throwing clouds of dust high into the sky and blanketing wide areas.

Shiveluch, one of Kamchatka’s most active volcanoes, erupted early on Tuesday, spewing dust more than 500km (more than 300 miles) northwest and engulfing several villages in grey volcanic dust in the largest fallout in nearly 60 years.

The Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Geophysical Survey said the eruption continued on Wednesday, spewing clouds of dust 10km (more than six miles) into the sky.

Since the start of the eruption, the area has been closed to aircraft and residents have been advised to stay indoors.

The villages located about 50km (some 30 miles) from the volcano, were covered by a 20-centimetre (nearly eight-inch) layer of dust. Residents posted videos showing the ash cloud plunging the area into darkness.

Shiveluch has two parts — the 3,283-metre (10,771-foot) Old Shiveluch, and the smaller, highly active Young Shiveluch.

The Kamchatka Peninsula, which extends into the Pacific Ocean about 6,600km (4,000 miles) east of Moscow, is one of the world’s most concentrated areas of geothermal activity, with about 30 active volcanoes.

Russia Volcanic Eruption
The eruption early Tuesday of Shiveluch, one of Kamchatka's most active volcanoes, spewed clouds of dust 10km (six miles) into the sky. [Yury Demyanchuk/AP Photo]
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Russia Volcanic Eruption
An active volcano on Russia's remote Kamchatka Peninsula kept erupting on Wednesday, a scientific institute reported, sending a 10km-high (six-mile) plume of ash into the sky, and a hazard warning remains in place for airlines. [Yury Demyanchuk/AP Photo]
Russia Volcanic Eruption
Shiveluch, one of Russia's most active volcanoes, first began erupting on Tuesday and at its peak sent out an ash cloud over an area of 108,000sq km (41,700sq miles). [Yury Demyanchuk/AP Photo]
Russia Volcanic Eruption
Ash from the initial eruption reached 20km into the sky, covered villages in drifts of grey volcanic dust and triggered an aviation warning. The nearest village, Klyuchi, lies 50km away. [Yury Demyanchuk/AP Photo]
Russia Volcanic Eruption
About 24 hours after the volcano began erupting, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Kamchatka, the geological survey said. Russian scientists said the quake was an aftershock from an April 3 earthquake. [Yury Demyanchuk/AP Photo]
Russia Volcanic Eruption
Kamchatka extends far into the Pacific Ocean northwest of Japan. About 300,000 people live on the peninsula. [Yury Demyanchuk/AP Photo]
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Russia Volcanic Eruption
One of Kamchatka's largest and most active volcanoes, Shiveluch has had an estimated 60 substantial eruptions in the past 10,000 years, the last major one being in 2007. [Yury Demyanchuk/AP Photo]
Russia Volcanic Eruption
Shiveluch has had an estimated 60 substantial eruptions in the past 10,000 years, the last major one being in 2007. [Yury Demyanchuk/AP Photo]
Russia Volcanic Eruption
A red notice issued by the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT), remained in force. It said the volcano "constitutes a potential hazard to international and local airlines". [Yury Demyanchuk/AP Photo]