Vladivostok: The Krasheninnikov Volcano on Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula has erupted for the first time in recorded history, local authorities said on Sunday.
The eruption began at 2:50 local time Sunday (1650 GMT Saturday), sending ash plumes up to 3-4 km above sea level, Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) said on its Telegram Channel.
The ash plume has drifted eastward toward the Pacific Ocean, officials said. No inhabited settlements lie in the path of the ash cloud, and there have been no reports of ashfall in populated areas. An orange aviation warning was issued.
Located about 200 km north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and 13 km south of Lake Kronotskoye, Krasheninnikov is part of the Eastern Volcanic Zone of Kamchatka. Earlier, the regional branch of the Emergency Ministry warned of possible ash emissions of 6-10 km from several other active Kamchatka volcanoes. Residents and tourists have been advised to avoid traveling within 10 km of these volcanoes' summits.
The eruption came just days after an 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula. The quake triggered tsunami warnings and prompted a state of emergency in parts of Kamchatka and the Severo-Kurilsk district.
