Kamchatka Volcano Ejects 3-KM Ash Column

The Klyuchevskoy volcano in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has erupted, sending ash to a height of up to 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) above sea level, according to the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology at the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The volcano is continuing to erupt explosively at the summit.

“By now, the ash plume has extended 58 kilometers [36 miles] east of the volcano. The volcano is continuing to erupt explosively at the summit. Ash emissions at altitudes up to 8 kilometers [4.9 miles] above sea level may occur at any time.

Continued activity may affect low-flying aircraft,” KVERT said in a statement reported by Interfax news agency.

“The crater is almost filled with lava. We are expecting lava flows,” KVERT added. The agency has assigned an orange color code for aviation hazards to the volcano. International air traffic routes do not pass through the Klyuchevskoy area.