• Source:JND
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Kamchatka volcano eruption:  The Krasheninnikov volcano in Russia’s Far East has erupted for the first time in recorded history, authorities confirmed on Saturday. The eruption comes amid heightened geological activity following a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the Pacific region on Wednesday. According to a statement from the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the Kamchatka Territory, a powerful ash plume soared up to 6,000 metres above sea level. The volcano, which stands at 1,856 metres, has now been assigned an “orange” aviation hazard code, indicating a high chance of further explosive activity and significant ash dispersion. “An ash discharge from the Krasheninnikov volcano has been recorded in Kamchatka. The ash release occurred at an altitude of up to 6,000 meters,” the emergency ministry said via Telegram.

Authorities have issued an orange alert in the region. This may cause in flight delays or route diversions for planes traveling through the North Pacific aviation corridor. Airlines have been advised to monitor ash cloud movements closely.

Only days before that, the Klyuchevskoy volcano, which is one of the highest and most active volcanoes in Eurasia, also erupted after the subsea quake. Situated in the Ust-Kamchatsky district, Klyuchevskoy started evidencing activity immediately after the seismic shock. The volcano last erupted in April 2025. United Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported "burning hot lava" spilling down the western slope and a bright red light seen miles away. Klyuchevskoy is approximately 4,750 metres high and located 450 km north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the administrative capital of Kamchatka.

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8.8 Earthquake Sends Tsunami Across Pacific

The volcanic eruption was followed by a strong 8.8-magnitude earthquake in the early hours of Wednesday, with its epicenter located off Russia's Far East. The earthquake initiated tsunami waves that slammed coasts around the Pacific, including Japan, Hawaii, and the US West Coast.
• In Kamchatka, tsunami waves of 3–4 metres were recorded.
• Japan’s northern Hokkaido island reported a wave height of 60 cm.
• Alaska’s Aleutian Islands observed sea level rises of up to 1.4 feet.

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Authorities in all affected areas made announcements asking people to evacuate inland and stay away from coastal areas for more than 24 hours. Evacuation centers were set up and filled rapidly in Japan as citizens remembered the traumatic experiences of the 2011 tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster. Thankfully, no abnormal behavior was witnessed at nuclear plants this time. Traffic was halted in Hawaii and the US West Coast as people scrambled to evacuate coastal areas. Local and federal emergency units are on high alert as more aftershocks and geological activity can occur.

With inputs from agency.