VLADIVOSTOK, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The erupting Shiveluch volcano on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula has blasted a column of ash up to about 8 km above sea level, a Kamchatka volcanic eruption response team reported on Thursday.
"An explosive-extrusive eruption of the volcano continues, accompanied by powerful gas-steam activity. Explosions sent ash up to 8 km above sea level, and ash cloud moved for 10 km to the east of the volcano. The eruption time was 15 minutes," said the team of the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Dispersion models indicate that the ash plume is drifting eastwards in the direction of the U.S.-owned Aleutian Islands. An "orange" aviation warning has been issued due to potential risks to both local and international air traffic.
The Shiveluch volcano, with a height of 3,283 meters, is located 440 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka's largest city, and 45 km from the town of Klyuchi, which has a population of 4,500. Over the past year and a half, the volcano has erupted several times. ■
