The images of ash and lava that this volcano has been spewing out since Sunday evening are impressive and show the danger. Japan’s weather agency has also issued a high-altitude alert following the eruption of Mount Sakurajima in the southern city of Kagoshima, and dozens of residents in the mountainous area have been ordered to evacuate. . The agency increased its alert level for Sakurajima to level 5, the highest level. Prior to the volcano’s eruption, which took place after 8 p.m. local time on Sunday, the alert was on Level 3, which prohibits access to the mountain.
According to local media, authorities in the coastal city of Kagoshima ordered people living in Arimura District and part of Furusato District, a total of 51 people, to leave the country. Kagoshima Township has approximately 600,000 residents. “Residential areas of the cities of Arimura and Furusato, which are within a three-kilometer radius of Sakurajima Crater, should be on high alert,” the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said in a statement. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, an explosion hurled ash about 2.5 km from the crater, while smoke rose to about 300 m above sea level and mixed with clouds.
No damage was reported immediately, said deputy chief of cabinet Yoshihiko Isozaki. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called on the government to “work closely with the community to ensure damage prevention, including through evacuations,” Yoshihiko Isozaki told reporters.
A well-known tourist spot
Sakurajima volcano, which frequently emits smoke and ash, is one of Japan’s most famous tourist attractions. According to Tsuyoshi Nakatsuji, the JMA observed the volcano swell last week, a sign of magma accumulation. “But the swelling hasn’t gone away since the last outbreak,” he said, assuring that the JMA is “monitoring this carefully.”
The country has many active volcanoes. It is located on the “Pacific Ring of Fire” where most of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded. Sakurajima was once an island, but due to previous eruptions it is now connected to a peninsula. The last time Japan issued the maximum evacuation alert for a volcano was when Kuchinoerabu Island erupted in 2015.