Rare mud volcano eruption forces closure of tourist site in Andaman Islands
A mud volcano at Jarawa Creek, Baratang Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, erupted at around 11:00 LT (05:30 UTC) on October 2, 2025, after lying dormant for two decades. The eruption released mud, gases, and water across more than 1 000 m2 (10 760 ft2), forming a mound about 3–4 m (10–13 feet) high.
Destroyed tourist trails after eruption of mud volcano in Andaman Islands, India on October 2, 2025. Credit: AAP TAK ANDAMAN (stillshot)
A rare mud volcano eruption occurred at Jarawa Creek, Baratang Island, North and Middle Andaman district, at around 11:00 LT (05:30 UTC) on October 2. Officials confirmed it was the mud volcano’s first major eruption since 2005. No injuries have been reported.
The eruption expelled a mixture of mud, water, and gases, forming a 3–4 m (10–13 feet) mound at the vent and spreading slurry across an estimated 1 000 m2 (10 760 ft2). According to Nicobar Times, the slurry also damaged rails and other eco-friendly infrastructure built for tourists at the site.
Authorities closed all approach routes to the volcano, suspended visitor access, and informed local transport operators to stop ferrying tourists to the area.
Shortly before the eruption, Yousuf Khan, a local resident and ex-serviceman, warned tourists to avoid the site after hearing unusual sounds from the vent. His warning, captured on video, was praised locally for likely preventing accidents.
Mud volcanoes in Baratang are formed by tectonic processes in the Andaman subduction zone, where the Indian Plate descends beneath the Burmese Plate, releasing fluids and gases such as methane and hydrogen sulfide. The gases mobilize underground mud, forcing it upward through fractures.
Unlike magmatic volcanoes, mud volcanoes erupt due to overpressure in sediment layers, sometimes intensified by seismic activity.
Baratang’s mud volcano is the only known mud volcano in India, making it both a geological rarity and a tourist attraction.
The event follows two recent eruptions at Barren Island volcano — India’s only active magmatic volcano—on September 13 and 20, 2025. The two systems are geologically distinct, and no causal link has been established; however, their close timing has sparked local curiosity.
Access restrictions the the mud volcano remain in place.
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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