By JamRadio News Team | World Newsdesk
Just hours after a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, the region’s tallest and most active volcano—Klyuchevskoy—has erupted, sending lava surging down its western flank and lighting up the sky with explosive bursts.
The eruption, described by Russian scientists as a “seismic chain reaction,” follows the most powerful quake seen in the region in decades. Offshore tremors earlier in the day triggered tsunami alerts across the Pacific and forced mass evacuations in Japan, Hawaii, and along the US West Coast.
Russia’s Geophysical Service confirmed the eruption late Wednesday. Streams of lava were seen carving paths down the volcano’s western slope, while ash clouds rose over 3 kilometres into the atmosphere. The volcano’s glow was reportedly visible from as far as Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the nearest major city.
Klyuchevskoy, reaching 4,750 metres, is part of the UNESCO-listed Volcanoes of Kamchatka and is known for its history of frequent, explosive activity.
Experts believe the timing of the eruption is directly linked to the earlier earthquake, which struck at a shallow depth of 19.3 kilometres. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky experienced shaking so severe that hospital surgeries were briefly interrupted, with staff continuing procedures under emergency power.
While tsunami waves measuring up to 4 metres hammered Kamchatka’s coastline, no casualties have yet been reported.
Authorities have warned residents in nearby towns such as Klyuchi, just 30 kilometres from the volcano, to remain indoors and avoid river valleys, where lahars—volcanic mudflows—could develop. Aviation alerts have been issued due to airborne ash, and Russia’s Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) is actively monitoring conditions.
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