The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a maximum level alert (level 5, the highest) on Sunday July 24 after the eruption of the Sakurajima volcano in the southern city of Kagoshima. Before the eruption of the volcano, which took place on Sunday after 8 p.m. local time (1 p.m. in Paris), the alert was at level 3, which prohibits access to the mountain.
“Residential areas in the cities of Arimura and Furusato, located within a radius of 3 kilometers from the crater of Sakurajima, must be on high alert”, the JMA said in a statement. The two hamlets have 77 residents, according to Kagoshima Municipality.
Television footage showed a lava flow and ash being released from the volcano. An explosion sent ash about 2.5 kilometers from the crater, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, while smoke rose to about 300 meters and mingled with clouds.
Many active volcanoes
No damage was immediately reported, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki said. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called on the government to “work closely with the municipality to ensure the prevention of damage, in particular through evacuations”Mr. Isozaki told reporters.
The Sakurajima volcano, which frequently spews smoke and ash, is one of Japan’s best-known tourist sites. The country has many active volcanoes. It is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where much of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.
Sakurajima was once an island, but due to earlier eruptions, it is now attached to a peninsula. The last time Japan issued the maximum evacuation alert for a volcano was when Kuchinoerabu Island erupted in 2015.