n, at around 11:30 am local time (08:30 GMT) , according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) in France. Satellite imagery and ground footage show towering ash clouds spreading east toward the Red Sea, with plumes reportedly rising up to 45,000 meters (148,000 feet) . Residents reported noticing faint smoke days before the eruption, though no scientific forecasts had predicted the event. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported , but authorities are concerned about the impact on local communities and livestock. Local villages, including Afdera, have been blanketed with ash, affecting daily life and tourism. Vibrations and tremors were felt as far away as northern Tigray and Djibouti. Economic concerns are rising as livestock herders struggle to find forage for their animals, now covered in thick layers of ash. About Hayli Gubbi: Hayli Gubbi is a shield volcano located approximately 800 km northeast of Addis Ababa. According to the Smithsonian Institution, this is the volcano’s first eruption in the current Holocene Era , nearly 12,000 years after the Ice Age. Ethiopia has 50 known volcanoes , many of which have been dormant for centuries. The Afar Rift Valley, where Hayli Gubbi sits, is one of the world’s most significant geological sites, formed by shifting tectonic plates that shaped Africa and Arabia. Authorities continue to monitor the volcano, urging residents to stay safe and avoid the affected areas as the situation develops.