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Volcano close to nuclear reactor erupts in Japan

Sakurajima in Kyushu island is one of country’s most active volcanos

A volcano on Japan’s major western island of Kyushu erupted on Sunday evening, sending black smoke billowing high into the air, but there were no immediate reports of any damage or injuries, and authorities said they did not expect a major eruption.

The volcano, which is called Sakurajima and is located on the southern tip of Kyushu near the city of Kagoshima, erupted at about 8:05 p.m. (1105 GMT), the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

A video grab from the Japan Meteorological Agency’s live camera image shows an eruption of Sakurajima in Kumamoto, Kumamoto prefecture, western Japan, July 24, 2022. Japan Meteorological Agency/Handout via Reuters

Volcanic stones rained down at a distance of 2.5 km (1.5 miles) from the volcano, a JMA official said. The eruption alert level has been raised to 5, the highest, with some areas advised to evacuate, he added, but no large eruption was expected.

Sakurajima, about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) southwest of Tokyo, is one of Japan’s most active volcanoes and eruptions of varying levels take place on a regular basis. In 2019 it spewed ash 5.5 km (3.4 miles) high. It used to be an island but became a peninsula following an eruption in 1914.

The agency warned of falling volcanic rocks in areas within 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) of the crater and possible flow of lava, ash and searing gas within 2 kilometers (1.2 miles).

There were no immediate reports of damage from Sunday’s eruption, deputy chief cabinet secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki told a news conference, as government officials sought more information on the situation.

An aerial view shows Mt. Sakurajima in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo August 15, 2015. REUTERS/Kyodo

“We will put the people’s lives first and do our utmost to assess the situation and respond to any emergency,” Isozaki told reporters. He called on residents in the area to pay close attention to the latest update from the local authorities to protect their lives.

Nuclear regulators said there were no irregularities detected at the Sendai atomic plant, which lies about 50 km (31 miles) from the volcano.

Video footage showed what appeared to be a red mass flowing down one side of the volcano, with red projectiles shooting upwards.

The JMA said rain was expected in some areas near the volcano on Monday but not the kind of heavy rain that could cause mudslides following the eruption.

FILE PHOTO: Volcano Sakurajima is seen on March 8, 2022, in Japan’s southern prefecture of Kagoshima.(Kyodo News via AP)

Most of the city of Kagoshima is across the bay from the volcano but several residential areas within about 3 km (1.9 miles) of the crater may be ordered to evacuate depending on the situation, NHK said.

About 120 residents in two towns facing the volcano were advised to leave their homes. (Agencies)

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