‘Felt like a bomb’: Eyewitness recalls Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano eruption

Witness says ground shook when Ethiopia Volcano Erupted

A long-dormant volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region, Hayli Gubbi, erupted over the weekend for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending towering plumes of ash and smoke up to 14 km (9 miles) into the sky.

Residents described the eruption as explosive, with the ground shaking violently. “It felt like a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke and ash,” said Ahmed Abdela, a local witness.

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The nearby village of Afdera, a popular stop for tourists visiting the Danakil Desert, was blanketed in ash, stranding visitors and locals alike.

❗️🌋🇪🇹 - Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi Volcano Awakens After 10,000 Years

In a stunning geological event, Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano—long dormant in the remote Danakil Depression of the Afar Rift—erupted explosively for the first time in recorded history on November 23, 2025. The… pic.twitter.com/bZby4sAuOC — 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) November 24, 2025

Local administrator Mohammed Seid confirmed that no casualties had been reported, but warned that the eruption could deal a serious blow to the area’s livestock-herding communities

“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,” he said.

Satellite data from the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in France confirmed the eruption, noting the ash plume’s drift over Yemen, Oman, India, and northern Pakistan. Authorities have issued aviation alerts as the fine ash and sulphur-laden clouds pose risks for aircraft engines and visibility along key flight routes.

The volcano, which rises about 500 metres in the geologically active Rift Valley, has no prior recorded history of eruptions, intensifying the shock and concern among local communities.

The eruption lasted several hours, leaving behind a thick ash layer over villages and farmland, with long-term economic consequences feared for the region’s livestock-dependent population.