'A descent of burning hot lava' - Volcano in Russia's far east erupts after 8.8 magnitude earthquake
The Klyuchevskoy volcano on Russia's Kamchatka peninsula has erupted following a powerful earthquake in the Pacific on Wednesday.
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The Russian Academy of Sciences’ United Geophysical Service confirmed the eruption of Eurasia's tallest active volcano on Telegram.
It said: "A descent of burning hot lava is observed on the western slope. Powerful glow above the volcano, explosions."
Klyuchevskoy has erupted a few times in recent years and is located about 280 miles north of the regional capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The eruption follows the sixth most powerful earthquake and the largest globally since 2011.
It prompted tsunami warnings to be issued for nations around the world including Japan, USA, Ecuador, and Chile.
A tsunami height of 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) was recorded in Kamchatka in the aftermath of the earthquake, leading to the flooding of ports near the epicentre.
Nearly two million people were evacuated from Japan's coastline on Wednesday, with thousands more fleeing their homes in Hawaii and California.
Read more: Huge traffic jams in Hawaii as hundreds of people flee tsunami
A wave of 4ft (1.2m) hit the coast of Oahu, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, with Hawaii Governor Josh Green saying the main island state has yet to see a "wave of consequence."
"We still have not seen any wave activity come past the Big Island. That’s important. Until we see what happens on the Big Island, we won’t feel we’re in a position to start saying that we’re in the clear," he said.
Chile and Ecuador have ordered residents and tourists on Easter Island and the Galapagos Islands to evacuate to higher ground away from the coast line.
Tsunami warnings are still in place for Colombia and Peru for coastal areas.
Alerts and advisories are still in effect for Mexico, Japan, US, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.