Dubbi Volcano Eruptions

The 1861 eruption from Dubbi volcano took place from a new fissure system NNE-SSW and produced 19 craters at the summit. The eruption was partly explosive, unusual for the Afar region, and produced a large ash column and caused ash fall more than 300 km from the volcano. 2 villages were destroyed and more than 100 persons were killed during what is probably Africa's largest eruption in historical time. Lava flows from the 1861 eruption flowed as far as 22 km and reached the coast.
A description of the 1861 eruption was provided by Captain R. L. Playfair, the British Resident at Aden:
"On the night of the 7th or the morning of the 8th of May, the people of Edd were awakened by the shock of an earthquake followed by others which continued with little intermission for about an hour. At sunrise, a quantity of fine white dust fell over the village. . . . About noon, the character of this dust . . .resembled red earth. Shortly afterwards, it increased to such an extent that the air was perfectly darkened and we had to light lamps in our houses. It was darker than the darkest night, and the whole place was covered with dust, nearly knee-deep. At night [on May 9], we saw fire and dense smoke issuing from a mountain called Djebel Dubbeh."

In 1400 AD, an eruption produced lava flows that reached the Red Sea. The vents of the eruption were along a NW-SE fissure system still visible in the terrain.