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Eruption of Ivan Grozny volcano on Iturup Island begins

The Ivan Grozny volcano is characterised by the constant intense fumarolic (gas) activity

VLADIVOSTOK, August 16 (Itar-Tass) — Eruption of the Ivan Grozny volcano on the Iturup Island of the Kurils chain has started. It spewed ash that from a height of 1,159 metres fell overnight on the Goryachiye Klyuchi settlement that is located 9 kilometres from the volcano, as well as on the town of Kurilsk, located 25 kilometres from the volcano. However, on Thursday afternoon there was no smell of hydrogen sulphide in the nearby settlements and no ash fall was registered, press secretary of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry’s (EMERCOM) main department for the Sakhalin Region Alexander Ivelsky said.

The Ivan Grozny volcano is characterised by the constant intense fumarolic (gas) activity. Eruptions similar to Thursday’s are typical for this mount. Such eruptions occurred in 1968, 1973, 1989 and did not affect everyday normal life of the people living on Iturup.

Monitoring of the volcano continues, the situation is under control of the EMERCOM Crisis Management Centre and specialists of the Sakhalin Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics.

Emergency rescuers have called on the residents and guest of the Kuril area to refrain from going to areas close to the Ivan Grozny volcano.