Volcano awakens after thousands of years: 20,000 people evacuated

Afar (Ethiopia) - Following a series of earthquakes, tens of thousands of people in Ethiopia have been called upon to leave their homes. A volcano in the center of the country is apparently about to erupt.

The volcano has lain dormant for thousands of years, but now Mount Dofan has awoken.

Following at least ten minor earthquakes in central Ethiopia over the past few days, the authorities have ordered extensive evacuations.

Most recently, a quake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale was recorded, reports the Anadolu news agency. The tremors were also felt in the capital Addis Ababa, almost 140 kilometers away.

"The earthquakes are becoming more violent and more frequent," said a statement from the government of the landlocked country with a population of 126 million. The epicenter of the latest quake on Saturday was once again Mount Dofan. A major eruption appears to be imminent.

Images shared by the Ethiopian Geological Institute, which were taken on Friday, show smoke coming out of a fissure on the mountain. Debris is flying around and an enormous column of smoke is billowing into the sky.

More than 20,000 people have now been evacuated from the area around the volcano, reports the"Voice of America" portal, citing information from the authorities. Around 51,000 people are considered to be at risk.

It is unclear when Mount Dofan last erupted - but presumably several thousand years ago. According to the renowned Smithsonian Institute, there is no known eruption in the past 11,700 years. Experts assume that the recent activity is due to the expansion of tectonic plates under the Great African Rift Valley.

In recent days, activity at the volcano has slowed down again somewhat. But it seems only a matter of time before Mount Dofan spits fire again.