- Sakurajima, in the south of the country, began erupting on Wednesday evening
A volcano has erupted in Japan, sending a huge cloud of ash 13,000 feet into the air and launching boulders nearly a mile. Residents have been warned that they may have to evacuate.
Sakurajima, a stratovolcano in the south of the country, began spewing lava on Wednesday evening, and the eruption continued into today.
Dramatic footage of the eruption shows a column of debris rising into the sky as flashes of lightning streak through the black cloud, which experts say could leave nearby towns and villages covered in ash.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned residents living in the shadow of the 1,000-meter mountain to be ready to evacuate if the eruptions intensify.
The volcano, Japan’s most active, was an island until 1914 and lava flows there connected it to the Osumi Peninsula.
Sakurajima, a stratovolcano in the south of the country, began spewing lava on Wednesday evening
The latest eruption is the most powerful since 2020: the last time the plumes rose to 4,000 meters.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to buildings, local officials said.
Although it appears violent, meteorologists say no pyroclastic flows have been reported so far.
The Meteorological Agency has issued a volcanic alert level 3 for the area, urging people to remain alert to the possibility of pyroclastic flows within a mile of the Minamidake summit and Showa crater.
Dramatic images of the eruption show the column of debris rising into the sky as lightning forks shoot through the black cloud
The eruption started around 6:30 PM on February 14 and sent smoke towards the northeast, causing poor visibility in the area.
The volcano is located 4 km across the bay from the city of Kagoshima, where about 600,000 people live.
The eruption comes after Mount Otake, another volcano about 130 miles south of Sakurajima, erupted on Sunday, signaling an increase in seismic activity.