‘It Felt Like A Sudden Bomb’: Eyewitnesses Stranded As Ethiopia’s Silent Volcano Awakens After 12,000 Years
Ethiopia’s long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted after 12,000 years, covering villages in ash and stranding tourists, as eyewitnesses described the blast as “a sudden bomb.”
A volcano that had remained silent for nearly 12,000 years suddenly roared back to life in Ethiopia’s north-eastern Afar region on Sunday, unleashing massive plumes of ash and smoke that shot nearly 9 miles (14 km) into the sky. The unexpected eruption of the Hayli Gubbi volcano blanketed the nearby village of Afdera—an emerging tourist hotspot—in thick layers of ash.
Residents described the moment as both shocking and surreal.
Ahmed Abdela, who lives in the region, recalled hearing a powerful blast just before the plume rose.
“It felt like a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke and ash,” he said, describing what he believed was a shock wave following the eruption.
Tourists Stranded as Ash Covers Villages
By Monday, Afdera village was still coated in grey ash, leaving tourists and local guides stuck as they attempted to travel to the popular Danakil desert. The sudden halt stranded many visitors who had been en route to one of Ethiopia’s most dramatic landscapes.
Local administrator Mohammed Seid confirmed that there were no casualties, but the eruption has triggered deep concerns about the economic fallout for the region’s pastoral communities. Many depend on livestock grazing, which now faces an immediate threat.
🔴 Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano ERUPTS after 10,000 years!
— TridentX ᴵⁿᵗᵉˡ (@TridentxIN) November 25, 2025
A massive 15 km ash plume is drifting across the region toward Yemen & Oman… and now headed towards North India .
Multiple flights impacted, Govt issues advisory to airlines for potential flight hazards.… pic.twitter.com/NmRTD9Uono
“While no human lives and livestock have been lost so far, many villages have been covered in ash, and as a result, their animals have little to eat,” Seid told The Associated Press.
With no historical records of Hayli Gubbi ever erupting, the event has left residents anxious about what might come next and how long the disruption could last.
Ash Clouds Drift Across Borders
The Hayli Gubbi volcano rises roughly 500 metres inside the seismically active Rift Valley, where massive tectonic forces shape the land. Its sudden awakening produced ash clouds large enough to travel far beyond Ethiopia.
According to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) in France, satellite imagery showed the ash drifting across Yemen, Oman, India, and northern Pakistan. The scale of the drift has drawn widespread attention, highlighting just how forceful the eruption was.
Images Surface on Social Media
Videos circulating on social platforms, though unverified, show towering columns of white smoke billowing into the sky, capturing the drama of a moment few in the region have ever witnessed.
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