Kamchatka, Russia – The Krasheninnikov volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s far east erupted for the first time in 600 years, the RIA news agency and scientists reported on Sunday, in a rare geological event that may be linked to the strong earthquake that struck the region last week.
“This is the first historically confirmed eruption of Krasheninnikov in six centuries,” said Olga Gerina, head of the Kamchatka Volcano Response Team, adding that volcanic activity may have been affected by last Wednesday’s earthquake, which caused tsunami warnings as far away as French Polynesia and Chile.
Russian authorities indicated that the volcanic eruption was also followed by activity at Klyuchevskoye, the most active volcano in Kamchatka.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry said a plume of ash rose to an altitude of 6,000 meters in the air, noting that the volcano, which is 1,856 meters high, has been classified as “orange level” for aviation, indicating a potential danger to air traffic in the area.
