A remarkable geological event has just shaken the northeastern reaches of Ethiopia.
Afar Communication Bureau / Facebook
The Hayli Gubbi volcano, lying in the remote Afar Region, erupted for the first time in roughly 12,000 years. What makes this eruption extraordinary is not only the sheer scale of the ash plume, but also the fact that, for this volcano, it was the first recorded awakening in the current geological era.
On Sunday, 23 November 2025, around late morning local time, Hayli Gubbi sent thick plumes of ash and smoke soaring into the sky, reaching up to 14 km high. According to reports by Al Jazeera, satellite images captured a dramatic ash column billowing from the volcano, and rising smoke was reported from the ground too, a sudden, explosive event after millennia of silence.
Though remote villagers heard what one described as “a sound like a bomb,” there have been no confirmed casualties so far.
The eruption blanketed nearby villages, including the small settlement of Afdera, in a thick layer of ash. Tours heading toward the nearby Danakil Desert were abruptly halted, leaving guides and tourists stranded.
Local communities, many of whom are pastoralists, now face serious disruption. Much of the grazing land has been covered in ash, and herders are concerned about their animals’ ability to feed.
But the ash cloud didn’t just stay local. Monitored by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC), the plume drifted across the Red Sea into Yemen and Oman and then further, reaching parts of South Asia, including portions of India and Pakistan.
This spread triggered widespread disruption for air travel. Airlines cancelled flights, and aviation authorities issued warnings, a reminder of how a remote volcano can affect travellers thousands of kilometres away.
What it means for travel
Hayli Gubbi belongs to the Erta Ale Range, part of the active East African Rift System, a tectonically restless region that has shaped Africa’s geography over millions of years.
Until now, scientists had no record of Holocene-era eruptions from Hayli Gubbi, that is, any eruptions in the roughly 12,000 years since the last Ice Age. Its sudden awakening is a stark reminder: even landscapes that appear still and timeless can hold deep, primal power.
For travellers, especially those drawn to raw, dramatic landscapes like the Danakil Depression, the eruption underscores the unpredictable grandeur of volcanic regions. It also raises awareness: in remote, geologically active zones, nature can still surprise and disrupt.
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