A volcano in southeastern Russia has erupted following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, state-owned media announced.
The Shiveluch volcano began spewing ash and lava on Friday after the earthquake shook the coast, the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences told TASS.
Shiveluch, one of the largest volcanoes on Kamchatka at a height of 10,771 feet, has produced an ash column reaching nearly five miles above sea level, scientists said.
The nearest settlement from the volcano, Klyuchi, is about 31 miles away.
No injuries have been reported, according to CNN.
Images published by Eastern European media outlet NEXTA show the enormous amount of ash pouring out of the volcano’s mouth:
Powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake has struck Russia and a volcanic eruption has begun
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 18, 2024
Kamchatka was hit. Aftershocks were felt up to 108 km from the epicenter. Ash emissions from the Shiveluch volcano pose a threat to aviation. pic.twitter.com/zHT5aZKeT0
The earthquake took place about 63 miles east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a town on the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, and occurred 18 miles below the surface of the ocean, according to the Associated Press.
