A volcano in north-eastern Ethiopia showed signs of eruption on Friday, prompting officials to relocate residents to temporary shelters, according to a state-affiliated TV and a government geological office.
The Ethiopian Geological Institute shared a video on Facebook showing what seemed to be dust and smoke rising from a volcano near Awash Fentale, Afar region.
Officials have evacuated residents from the affected area, which is approximately 165 kilometers (102 miles) from the capital Addis Abeba.
Shiferaw Teklemariam, Commissioner of the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission, said it was too early to label the activity an eruption, but authorities were not taking chances.
“The community; some are already leaving those areas. We are also preparing to do it in a well organised manner. It (moving the community) will be done based on predictions,” he said.
The area experiencing volcanic activity has also been prone to earthquakes and tremors in recent months.
