An earthquake of magnitude 5.8 struck Ethiopia, the US Geological Survey and the German Research Centre for Geosciences said on Saturday.
The quake's epicenter was located 88 miles (142 km) east of the capital, Addis Ababa, and was at a shallow depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the USGS said.
A nearby long-dormant volcano of Mount Dofen also erupted after months of intense seismic activity, according to local media.
Aden Bela, a local official, told the Ethiopian broadcaster EBC that the crater had stopped releasing smoke, but lava was still flowing out of the volcano.
Residents evacuated
Thousands of civilians have been evacuated from the area because of potentially dangerous volcanic activity, officials said on Friday.
The evacuations come after steam eruptions were seen since Thursday, raising fears of a volcanic eruption that could put many people at risk.
Also, volcanic mud flowing from Dofen has caused huge cracks on critical infrastructure, including on major roads, and dozens of properties have been severely damaged in the region of Afar, according to the Afar Region Disaster Risk Management.
The agency said on Friday that the evacuations are precautionary. The residents are being taken to safer areas within the region.
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