The Hayli Gubbi shield volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region has erupted for the first time in around 12 000 years, sending thick ash and smoke up to about 14 km into the sky on Sunday. Nearby villages were blanketed in ash, though authorities have not reported any deaths.

Scientists say there are no known Holocene-era eruption records for Hayli Gubbi, making this the first eruption in recorded history. Satellite tracking shows the ash plume spreading over the Red Sea into Yemen, Oman, and parts of northern India, disrupting several international flights.