Shiveluch volcano erupts in Russia’s Far East

The Shiveluch volcano in Russia’s Kamchatka region erupted on the night of April 11, throwing 15 km of ash. According to the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, there is a risk of hot flows blocking the highway, TASS reports.

“On the night of April 11, the eruption of the Shiveluch volcano reached a paroxysmal stage. Due to the bad weather, video observations of the volcano are difficult; the cyclone continues to affect the situation here, it is snowing and there is a blizzard. However, calculations show that the height of the ash cloud has reached 15 kilometers,” the statement said.

According to the institute, the volcano now has the highest “red” hazard designation for aviation. “Molten lava flows can travel up to 20 kilometers and block the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-Ust-Kamchatsky highway,” the institute said.

Shiveluch is one of the largest volcanoes in Kamchatka at 3,283 meters.