A volcano in Ethiopia ’s north-eastern region has erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending thick plumes of smoke up to 9 miles (14km) into the sky, and across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman.

The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region about 500 miles north-east of Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border, erupted on Sunday for several hours.

A local official, Mohammed Seid, said there were no casualties, but the eruption could have economic implications for the local community of livestock herders.

Seid said there was no previous record of an eruption by the Hayli Gubbi volcano, and that he fears for the livelihoods of residents.

“While no human lives and livestock have been lost so far, many villages have been covered in ash and as a result their anim

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