Russia: Volcano erupts in Kamchatka after more than 450 years

The Krashenyinikov volcano on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula has erupted for the first time in more than 450 years, a few days after a powerful earthquake hit the region in Russia's Far East, authorities said.

The volcano, whose peak is more than 1.800 meters high, ejected a column of ash to a height of 6.000 meters, the local service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations announced on Telegram.

"Ash is spreading eastward, towards the Pacific Ocean," the statement said, adding that populated areas were not threatened.

The Kamchatka Peninsula, where the Pacific and North American tectonic plates meet, has dozens of volcanoes and is one of the most seismically active zones on the planet.