MOSCOW, April 11 At the moment, there is no need for mass evacuation of the population from areas subjected to heavy ashfall after the eruption of the Shiveluch volcano, said the governor of the Kamchatka Territory Vladimir Solodov.
«After the doctor's round, there will be targeted decisions (on removal from the ashfall zone — ed.) if there is evidence, but there is no need for any mass evacuation or movement of people now. Neither rescuers nor specialists give such a recommendation,» Solodov said in a statement. on the air of the TV channel «Russia 24». He noted that residents of these areas are advised to continue wearing protective masks to prevent ash from entering the respiratory tract.
«Of course, a decision (on the need for evacuation — ed.) will be made on the spot. The deputy chairman (of the regional — ed.) of the government in charge of emergencies, the head of the village, and doctors, and rescuers are now working there. They quickly assess the situation. But the most acute phase is already over. At least now there is already visibility, that is, the air is light and transparent. In this sense, suspended particles are already less in the air — the main one has already settled on the ground,» the governor said.
The Shiveluch eruption in Kamchatka began early Tuesday morning local time. Several villages in the east of the peninsula were covered with an ash cloud. Residents were advised not to leave the premises unnecessarily. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the ash cloud can reach Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which is located 450 kilometers from Shiveluch. According to scientists, the ash fall in the village of Klyuchi became the strongest in 60 years. There, the thickness of the ash layer reached eight centimeters.
Shiveluch is one of the largest volcanoes in Kamchatka. It includes three main structures: the Old Shiveluch volcano, the ancient caldera and the active Young Shiveluch volcano. The height of the lava dome of Young Shiveluch is 2500 meters. The volcano is located at the intersection of the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian island arcs at a distance of 50 kilometers from the village of Klyuchi in the Ust-Kamchatsky region and 450 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.