Mount Aso, Japans largest active volcano on the main southern island of Kyushu, has erupted sending clouds of black smoke and ash into the air.
Prompting tourist evacuations the volcano sent plumes of smoke 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) into the air, Japan’s Meteorological Agency said who said the eruption had come without warning. Authorities have raised the danger level to three out of five.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
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The Japanese power company says the recently restarted Sendai nuclear plant would be unaffected
RT reports: The 1,592-meter (5,222-feet) Mount Aso is located on Japan’s southernmost main island, Kyushu, and is considered a popular hiking destination for tourists. It is also the second largest mountain in Japan and is one of the biggest calderas in the world, encompassing an area 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) north to south and 18 kilometers (11.2 miles) east to west.
Officials said that around 30 people were parked near the peak when the volcano erupted, but that they had been evacuated. Overall, about 100 tourists were transported to safety.
There had been no indication that an eruption was coming, according to meteorologists.
A second eruption has not been ruled out, according to Sadayuki Kitagawa, senior coordinator for volcanic affairs at Japan’s Meteorological Agency. Kitagawa told people to be careful of falling rocks due to a “possibility of volcanic rocks landing in an area over a 1-kilometer radius.”
Time-lapse of Mount #Aso, #Japan‘s largest active volcano, erupting this morning. (via @kumamoto_rkk) pic.twitter.com/nMeHBQvBTN
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) September 14, 2015
Video footage shows black smoke billowing 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) into the sky and ash raining down, NHK national television reported. No nuclear plants have been affected by the eruption, Kyushu Electric Power Co stated, including the Sendai nuclear plant, which was restarted in August and is located about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Mount Aso. Arrivals and departures have become “irregular” at the Kumamoto Airport because of the eruption, Japan Air Lines said, adding that several flights have already been canceled and more cancellations are expected.
LIVE: Japan’s largest volcano Mount #Aso erupts, shooting ash and billowing smoke into sky http://t.co/JSWwX2NW3T pic.twitter.com/coPiyaJ2im — RT (@RT_com) September 14, 2015
Japan lies on the “Ring of Fire”, a band of fault lines and volcanoes around the edges of the Pacific ocean, and is home to more than 100 active volcanoes.
