Largest active volcano Mt. Aso in Japan erupts

The explosive eruption occurred around 1:46 a.m. on one of the peaks of the 1,592-meter mountain in Kumamoto Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of injuries, Kyodo reports.

It was the first explosive eruption at that particular peak since January 1980.

The agency raised the alert level for the volcano to level 3 on a scale of 5, calling on people not to approach the mountain and warning of falling rocks.
There was also a small-scale eruption at 9:52 p.m. Friday, the agency said. Apart from that, the most recent eruption occurred on May 1.

"Mt. Aso is in an unstable condition and could erupt again on the same scale," an agency official told reporters, warning residents of volcanic ash, rocks and volcanic gas.

It is unclear whether the eruption was related to powerful earthquakes that hit Kumamoto and neighboring Oita Prefecture in April, killing 49 people, the official said.

The Aso city government opened shelters at 10 locations. The central government set up a liaison office in the prime minister's office.

On Mt. Aso, three tourists were killed by large rocks thrown up in an eruption in September 1979. An eruption with pyroclastic flows was also observed in September 2015.

Photograph: Alamy

Source: Kyodo