ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Pakistan Meteorological Department stated that the country’s airspace has been cleared, and its atmosphere will not be affected by the ash from a “silent” volcano that erupted in Ethiopia after 12,000 years.
However, clouds are now drifting towards India and China. The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia, which erupted for the first time in recorded history on Sunday, sent ash plumes up to 14km (8.7 miles) high, according to media reports.
Met department spokesperson Anjum Nazir said that volcanic ash was seen at 10 am on Tuesday at an altitude of 45,000 feet south of Gwadar. He said this ash had passed over Sindh from the Arabian Sea and “has had no effects on the land of Sindh.”
Nazir said the volcanic ash had already moved towards India and would move towards India’s Rajasthan, while volcanic ash clouds were now visible, moving towards India.
He added that, so far, Pakistan’s airspace is now clear. In his words, since this morning, the areas of Oman, Yemen, and Pakistan have become clear.
He said the volcanic ash was at an altitude of 45,000 feet, that it would not affect Pakistan’s northern areas, atmosphere, and that it would not cause any increase in the country’s air pollution. Nazir also added that volcanic ash cannot be seen on ordinary satellite imagery.
Ash cloud over India, moving to China
Reports from the India Meteorological Department said that effects of the ash rising from the volcano were observed as far as Delhi, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, and that the effects of the ash rising from the volcano were also observed as far as Punjab and Haryana.
It said the ash clouds are moving towards China and that the ash clouds will leave India by Tuesday at 7:30 pm.
Air India said it had cancelled 11 flights on Monday and Tuesday to make precautionary checks on aircraft that had flown over some locations after the eruption, following a directive to airlines from India’s aviation regulator.
Smaller peer Akasa said it had scrapped scheduled flights with Middle East destinations such as Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi scheduled during the two days.
The departments referred to “the incident of a silent volcano erupting in Ethiopia after 12,000 years,” which has sent ash across parts of the region but, according to Pakistan’s Met Department, without affecting the land, atmosphere, or air quality in the country.
