Karymsky volcano in Russia's Kamchatka spews ash 2.5 km above sea level

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. Oct 16 (Interfax) - Kamchatka's Karymsky volcano, which is now erupting, spewed ash 2.5 kilometers above sea level on Wednesday morning, the Kamchatka volcanic eruption response team from the Volcanology and Seismology Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Far Eastern branch said in a statement.

"The ash plume is spreading 50 kilometers east-north-east of the volcano. The volcano's moderate activity is continuing. Ash explosions as high as 10 kilometers above sea level may occur at any moment. The ongoing volcanic activity may affect international low-flying airplanes," it said.

The ash plume from the Karymsky volcano is drifting toward the Kronotsky Gulf, but there are no populated localities on its way, the press service for the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry's regional branch said.

An orange alert level is in place for aircraft due to the eruption of the Karymsky volcano.

Karymsky, 1,536 meters tall, is one of Kamchatka's active volcanoes located in the Yelizovo district, 125 kilometers north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.