Japan: Volcanic Eruption Spews Large Rocks 2.5 Kilometers Away, 51 Residents Evacuate

Large rocks from the Sakurajima volcano in the southern prefecture of Kagoshima, Japan, fell as far as 2.5 kilometers on Sunday night. Orange flames flashing close to the mouth of the volcano and dark smoke with ash wafting high above the mountaintop were seen in footage broadcast on Japan's NHK public television. Japan's Meteorological Agency advised 51 residents of two towns facing the volcano to leave their homes by Japan's Meteorological Agency, which raised the alert for a volcanic eruption to the highest level of five.

According to Kagoshima city, 33 of them had already left their homes by Monday morning for a nursing home in a more secure area. NHK reported that additional people who were required to evacuate may have done so.

Yoshihiko Isozaki, the deputy chief cabinet secretary, declared that they would prioritize the safety of the populace and exert every effort to evaluate the situation and handle any emergency. To protect their lives, he urged the populace to closely monitor local authority updates.

Ashes, Rocks, Lava

There was some ash visible on vehicles in Kagoshima, but no injuries or damage were reported. Despite being in summer break, local schools will be closed on Monday for extracurricular activities and clubs, AP News reports.

JMA issued a warning that volcanic rocks could fall within 3 kilometers of the crater and that lava, ash, and scalding gas could flow within 2 kilometers as a result of the volcanic eruption.

Tsuyoshi Nakatsuji, a JMA official in charge of volcano watch said that Although there was a low likelihood of additional explosive violent eruptions, locals should still be on the lookout for mudslides, pyroclastic flows, and falling rocks. In addition, he advised people to keep their curtains closed and stay a safe distance from windows because they might break under the force of an eruption.

Read also: White Island Disaster: Story Behind the Horrifying Volcanic Eruption That Killed 20 Tourists 

Sakurajima

One of Japan's most active volcanoes, Sakurajima, which is located on the main southern island of Kyushu, has repeatedly erupted.

Every 4 to 24 hours, it typically experiences strong strombolian explosions as well as sizable ash explosions.

The volcano is the larger complex of the Aira caldera volcano's historically active center. The volcano's summit is only 8 km east of the city of Kagoshima, which has a population of half a million and is situated across Kagoshima Bay, which divides the two by 4.2 km of water. The history of Sakurajima's eruptions dates back to the eighth century. It frequently covers Kagoshima in ash. It is viewed as a very dangerous volcano and is under constant observation because of its explosive potential.

It was once an island but after an eruption in 1914 that claimed 58 lives, it was transformed into a peninsula. Tokyo is located about 1,000 km to the southwest of Sakurajima.

Up until about 4850 years ago, Kita-dake summit cone was the primary location of Sakurajima's early activity. After that time, its vent moved to Minami-dake. During the major eruption of 1914, Sakurajima was built, creating a new island that was connected to the Osumi Peninsula, Volcano Discovery reports.

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