A Russian volcano on the eastern coast of the country has erupted following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the country in the same area, state-run media shared.
TASS, a Russian news agency, reported that the Shiveluch volcano in Kamchatka began erupting on Saturday following the earthquake.
According to CNN, the volcano is about 280 miles from the coastal city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000.
Photos and videos of the eruption and the smoke plume leaving the volcano have quickly gone viral online, as some show the eruption taking place with lightning flashing.
TASS reported that scientists have said the ash column rising from the volcano is up to 5 miles above sea level and that it has begun releasing lava.
Posts on X show the black cloud leaving the center of the volcano the morning after the earthquake and the eruption.
Residents near the volcano are reportedly not being affected by the eruption, other than ashfall being reported in nearby areas.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the epicenter of the earthquake was 63 miles east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and occurred 18 miles below the surface, according to the Associated Press.
The AP also noted that the U.S. National Weather Service’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had at first warned that tsunami waves were possible for coasts that were within 300 miles of the epicenter. However, that threat has since been lifted.