On Sunday evening local time, the Sakurajima volcano in Japan erupted. At least 51 people had to be evacuated. The nearby Sendai nuclear power plant was not damaged in the eruption
The image shows the current eruption of Sakurajima from afar.
On Japan’s western main island of Kyushu, the Sakurajima volcano erupted at 8:05 p.m. local time on Sunday evening and let black smoke rise high into the air. Video footage shows a red mass pouring down one side of the volcano and red bullets erupting from the volcano.
Public television NHK cited reports of volcanic rock falling about 2.5 kilometers from the volcano. The eruption warning level has been raised to 5, the highest level, and some areas should be evacuated, it said.
Sakurajima is located at the southern tip of Kyushu near the city of Kagoshima. However, most of the city of Kagoshima is on the other side of the volcano’s bay. At least 51 people from residential areas within a radius of about 3 km around the crater had to be evacuated, according to the NHK.
Also in February 2016, Sakurajima, one of the most active volcanoes in Japan, erupted.
There have been no immediate reports of damage from the current outbreak, Japanese Deputy Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki said at a news conference on Sunday, while government officials sought more information on the situation. The nuclear regulatory authorities also gave the all-clear and said no irregularities had been found at the Sendai nuclear power plant, which is about 50 km from the volcano. However, the Japanese weather authority (JMA) warns of mudslides that could be triggered by the upcoming rain.
Sakurajima is one of the most active volcanoes in Japan, and eruptions of varying magnitudes occur regularly. In 2019, he spat out ash at a height of 5.5 km.