ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Ash from a 12,000-year-dormant volcano in Ethiopia, which had previously affected Pakistan, is now moving towards India. Pakistan’s airspace has already cleared.
Anjum Nazir, spokesperson for the Meteorological Department, said that Pakistan’s airspace is now clear, and the volcanic ash is expected to move towards the Indian state of Rajasthan.
He added that the ash will not affect northern areas of Pakistan. It had passed over the Arabian Sea above Sindh, but had no impact on the land.
The spokesperson said that on Tuesday at 10 a.m., volcanic ash was observed 45,000 feet above the area south of Gwadar. He added that volcanic ash is generally not visible on standard satellites.
Anjum Nazir noted that, for the first time in Pakistan’s history, an advisory about volcanic ash was issued to aviation authorities. The ash had reached heights exceeding 45,000 feet.
Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department reported that the effects of the volcanic ash were observed in Delhi, Gujarat, and Rajasthan.
According to India’s meteorological authorities, the ash was also seen over Punjab and Haryana, and the ash clouds are expected to move out of India by Tuesday evening around 7:30 p.m.
The Indian Meteorological Department further said that the ash clouds are moving towards China.