A volcano in Russia's far eastern region of Kamchatka that began erupting ash on Monday may now be discharging lava, a news report said Tuesday.
"It's impossible to say right now whether lava has begun pouring out of the volcano, because there is no visibility in the area. If that happens, the lava will flow northwest," a scientist from the regional branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences told TASS news agency.
The Klyuchevsky volcano boasts a height of 4,750 meters and is considered to be one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. On Monday, the regional branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry announced that the volcano was belching ash and advised residents living nearby to avoid going outdoors.
On Tuesday, residents in a village about 30 kilometers from the volcano said they had heard a strong rumbling sound, and data from seismic monitors revealed a spike in volcanic tremors and growing thermal activity, TASS reported.
Snow and rain have hindered efforts to confirm whether or not there is lava emerging from the volcano, but scientists will continue to monitor the situation, with a visual check to begin once the weather clears up, the report said.
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