Japan declares high alert for Sakurajima volcano eruption

On Sunday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced the maximum alert level and mandatory evacuation of residents near the “Sakurajima” volcano, which erupted around 8:05 pm (local time).

volcano, One of the busiest companies in JapanIt is located in Kagoshima Prefecture, In the southwest of the countrySo far, there are no records of injuries during the eruption.

however, The authorities decided to declare alert level 5, the highestAfter a warning that the volcano is expelling volcanic stones more than 2.5 kilometers away, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

According to local media, this is the second time the JMA has issued a level 5 warning of volcanic eruptions across the country since then. It was issued to Kuchi-Nagarabujima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture in 2015, the second time since the eruption alert level was introduced in 2007.

The nearest residential area, Kagoshima City, is across the bay from the volcano and just over three kilometers away, but people can still be ordered to evacuate there.

Video footage of the eruption on Sunday showed what appeared to be a red mass flowing down the side of the volcano with red ejecta in the form of smoke that is difficult to see in the dark, Reuters reported.

Before the eruption of the volcano it was on the third level, which prohibits entry to the mountain. “Residential areas in the city of Arimura and the city of Furusato within three kilometers of the crater of the Sakurajima summit should be on high alert.”JMA said.

According to Kagoshima City, there are 77 residents in the two cities. There were no immediate reports of damage, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Japan has dozens of active volcanoes and is in the so-called “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific OceanWhere a large proportion of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the world.

Sakurajima is one of the most active volcanoes in Japan, and eruptions are frequent at different levels, making it a major tourist attraction. In 2019, ash was released to an altitude of 5.5 km.

Contemporary turmoil

Sakurajima was formerly an island, but is now connected to a peninsula due to previous volcanic eruptions.

The January 11, 1914 There was a violent eruption that ended a century of inactivity for this volcano.

The giant has resumed its activity in 1955And it has been exploding almost continuously ever since. Every year thousands of small eruptions occur that expel ash to a height of several kilometers. in 1960 The Sakurajima Volcano Observatory was established to monitor and study volcanic eruptions.

One of the reasons for the establishment of this institution was the interest in the inhabited area located a short distance from the volcano. Kagoshima has several evacuation routes and shelters in case an event like the one recorded today occurs.

The March 10, 2009 The volcano erupted and expelled tongues of lava and ash through the crater without causing personal injury. in 2010 broke the record for annual explosions (exceeding 548 in 2009); Some of them ejected the material to a height of almost 5 km.

Read on: