Russian villages engulfed in ash after volcanic eruption

A volcano has erupted in far eastern Russia, spewing clouds of dust 12 miles into the sky and covering broad areas with ash.

The ash cloud from the eruption of Shiveluch, one of the Kamchatka Peninsula’s most active volcanoes, extended more than 310 miles north west and engulfed several villages in grey volcanic dust.

Officials closed the skies over the area to aircraft and local authorities advised residents to stay indoors. Schools in several communities were shut, and two villages had their power supplies cut for a few hours.

Ash fell on 41,699 square miles of territory, according to the regional branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Geophysical Survey. The scientists described the fallout as the biggest in nearly 60 years.

The village of Klyuchi, which is 30 miles from the volcano, was covered by an 8cm layer of dust. Residents posted videos showing the ash cloud plunging the area into darkness.

The Kamchatka Peninsula, which extends into the Pacific Ocean about 4,000 miles east of Moscow, is one of the world’s most concentrated areas of geothermal activity, with about 30 active volcanoes.