Krasheninnikov Volcano erupts on Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula

Moscow, Aug 3 (IANS) The Krasheninnikov Volcano on Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula has erupted for the first time in recorded history, local authorities said on Sunday.

Some media reports also suggest that this volcano erupted for the first time in over 450 years.

The eruption began at 2:50 local time on Sunday, 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.

The plume is reported to have ascended to a height of 6,000 metres (19,700 feet), according to a post from Kamchatka's Ministry of Emergency Situations on Telegram.

"The plume is spreading eastward from the volcano toward the Pacific Ocean. There are no populated areas along its path, and no ashfall has been recorded in inhabited localities," the ministry said.

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, reports Xinhua news agency.

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 travelling 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.

--IANS

int/sd/