PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, August 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's northernmost active volcano churned out ash to a height of up to seven kilometers (4.3 miles) in the country's Far East, local Emergencies Ministry’s department reported on Monday.
The 3,283-meter (10,771 feet) Shiveluch volcano increased activity in May 2009 and has been periodically spewing ash from three to ten kilometers.
“The cloud of ash moved in the eastern direction from the volcano having bypassed nearby residential areas,” the department said in a statement.
The statement also warned all tourism companies operating in the region against holding tours in the areas located near the volcano.
Although the current eruption poses no immediate threat to nearby settlements, the ensuing ash fallouts could be hazardous to health and the environment.
There are more than 150 volcanoes on Kamchatka and up to 30 of them are active.
