Disasters & Accidents

Japan volcano erupts with plumes of ash, threat level raised

Tokyo, Oct 20 (EFE).- Mount Aso in the southwest of Japan erupted Wednesday, spewing ash and large columns of smoke that prompted the authorities to raise the threat level in and around the danger zone.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported no damages due to the volcanic eruption detected at 11.43 am local time.

The eruption sent blankets of ash more than a kilometer from the crater and 3.5 km high in the sky, said the agency.

Tomoaki Ozaki, the volcanology head, told reporters that there was a risk of more eruptions.

Ozaki said the authorities expected volcanic gases, large falling rocks, and pyroclastic flows in the vicinity.

The agency urged residents in adjoining areas to stay alert and not approach the area marked as a danger zone.

“We urged people not to approach the area in the radius of 2 km around the volcano,” Ozaki said.

The agency has raised the threat level to 3, on a scale of 5.

Mount Aso, about 1.6 km high, is located in a sparsely populated area within a national park on the island of Kyushu in southwestern Japan.

Among the most active volcanoes in the country, Mount Aso erupted in October 2016, though no serious damage was reported nor transport affected then.

Mount Aso saw a small eruption in 2019,

More than 40 people died from a volcanic eruption in Japan when Mt. Ontake erupted in 2014.

Japan is located in the Pacific ring of fire and has about 110 active volcanoes.

The JMA considers any volcano active that “has erupted in the last 10,000 years or where there have been recently registered fumaroles. EFE

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