Russia's Krasheninnikov volcano erupts for the first time in 450 years

The Krasheninnikov volcano on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula has erupted for the first time in more than 450 years, days after a powerful earthquake struck the region in Russia's Far East , authorities said. The volcano, which stands more than 1,800 meters tall, is releasing a column of ash reaching 6,000 meters, the local branch of Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry reported on Telegram .

"The plume spread eastward toward the Pacific Ocean," the same source said, adding that no residential areas or tourist groups were in its path.

"Since the reserve's surroundings consist of volcanic wastelands, slag heaps, and lava fields without dense vegetation, there is currently no threat of natural fires," the Kronotsky Nature Reserve said on its Telegram account . "The lives of the reserve's staff, infrastructure, and inhabited areas are also not threatened."

The Kamchatka Peninsula, home to some 30 active volcanoes, is one of the most seismically active areas on the planet, at the intersection of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. This virtually uninhabited territory, however, welcomes tourists who come to explore its spectacular mountain landscapes and natural parks teeming with bears and salmon.

According to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, Krasheninnikov's last recorded eruption was in 1550. "Currently, a fissure is observed on the flank and the formation of a lava dome, which is accompanied by powerful gas activity," Guirina, head of the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT), told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

It is the latest manifestation of intense geological activity in the region since Wednesday's 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Kamchatka, which triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific.

On Wednesday, the peninsula's highest volcano, Klyuchevskoy (4,750 meters), erupted. The region recorded more than 65 earthquakes on Saturday, ten of which were felt in its main town, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, according to the Russian geophysical service.