Volcano erupts in Russia after 36 years

A Russian volcano began erupting late on Tuesday, the Interfax news agency reported. Plosky Tolbachik, in Russia\'s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, erupted Tuesday evening for the first time since 1976, spewing a column of ash seven kilometers into the atmosphere. The volcanic ash cloud drifted toward northwest while the lava flowing down the volcano\'s southern slope. The ash fell in the villages of Maiskoye and Krasny Yar, forming a ash layer of about four centimeters. An orange alert has been issued due to the eruption, which though did not pose hazard to the populated area. The 3,085-meter-high volcano is situated in the southwestern sector of the Klyuchevsky group of volcanoes in Kamchatka\'s east, 343 kilometers away from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. A significant increase in seismic activity and more than 130 volcanic earthquakes have been registered at Plosky Tolbachik volcano. Its latest eruption was recorded in 1975-1976.