Hayli Gubbi Volcano Eruption in Ethiopia Subsides After Causing Widespread Disruption to Air Travel and Local Communities

The volcanic activity at northern Ethiopia's previously dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano has decreased as of Tuesday, following an eruption that caused extensive damage to nearby communities and disrupted air travel due to ash clouds affecting flight paths at high altitudes.

Ash has blanketed villages throughout the Afdera district in Ethiopia's Afar region, with officials reporting that residents are experiencing respiratory issues and livestock are struggling as both grass and water sources are covered in volcanic debris.

Multiple airlines have been forced to cancel numerous flights scheduled over the affected regions, though meteorological authorities indicated that ash clouds were expected to dissipate later in the day.

Air India announced the cancellation of 11 flights, predominantly international routes, across Monday and Tuesday to examine aircraft that may have traversed affected airspace, following directives from India's aviation safety regulatory body.

Another carrier from India, Akasa Air, reported cancellations of flights to Middle Eastern destinations including Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

At New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, a minimum of seven international flights scheduled for arrival and departure on Tuesday were canceled, with at least twelve others experiencing delays, according to an airport representative.

Abedella Mussa, a health official for northern Ethiopia's Afdera district, reported that residents were experiencing coughing symptoms, and mobile medical teams from the broader Afar region had been deployed to the isolated area.

"Two medical teams have been dispatched to the affected kebeles (neighborhoods) like Fia and Nemma-Gubi to provide mobile medical services," he stated.

Nuur Mussa, an official responsible for livestock management, explained that animals were unable to access uncontaminated water or food. "Many animals, especially in the two affected kebeles, cannot drink clean water or feed on grass because it is covered by volcanic ash," he said.

Geologist Atalay Ayele from Addis Ababa University explained that such eruptions occur because Ethiopia is positioned along an active rift system where volcanic activity and seismic events are common occurrences.

"This is the first recorded eruption of Hayli Gubbi in the last 10,000 years," he told The Associated Press. "It will likely continue for a short period and then stop until the next cycle."

According to the India Meteorological Department, high-altitude winds carried the ash cloud from Ethiopia across the Red Sea, Yemen, Oman, the Arabian Sea, and then toward western and northern India. The ash cloud was moving in the direction of China and was expected to clear from Indian airspace by late Tuesday.