Tokyo, Oct 20 (AFP\/APP):Japan’s Mount Aso erupted Wednesday, spewing a giant column of ash thousands of metres into the sky as hikers rushed away from the popular tourist spot.<\/p>\n
No injuries were immediately reported after the late-morning eruption in southwest Japan, which sent rocks flying in a dramatic blast captured by nearby CCTV cameras.<\/p>\n
People were warned not to approach the volcano as it ejected hot gas and ash as high as 3,500 metres (11,500 feet), and sent stones tumbling down its grassy slopes.<\/p>\n
Authorities were checking if any hikers had been trapped or injured, officials told local media, as TV footage showed dozens of vehicles and tour buses parked at a nearby museum that has a clear view of the volcano.
\nPale grey torrents of ash were seen rushing down Aso’s slopes towards the museum, but did not reach the site.<\/p>\n
For those near the mountain, “caution must be exercised for large flying rocks and flows of pyroclastic materials”, said Japan Meteorological Agency official Tomoaki Ozaki.<\/p>\n
“Caution is warranted even in far-away areas downwind, as the wind may carry not just ash but also pebbles,” Ozaki told a televised press conference, warning that toxic gases may also have been emitted.<\/p>\n
The last time the JMA raised its warning for Aso to Wednesday’s level — three out of five — was when it erupted in 2016, having rumbled to life the previous year after being dormant for 19 years.<\/p>\n
The agency has been warning of increasing volcanic activity there in recent days, including a small eruption on Thursday.
\nMount Aso’s huge caldera dominates the southwestern main island of Kyushu, where the 1,592-metre (5,223-foot) volcano is a popular tourist draw.
\nJapan is one of the world’s most volcanically active countries.<\/p>\n
It sits on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire” where a large proportion of the planet’s quakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.<\/p>\n
In September 2014, Japan suffered its deadliest eruption in almost 90 years when Mount Ontake, in central Nagano prefecture, burst unexpectedly to life, killing an estimated 63 people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tokyo, Oct 20 (AFP\/APP):Japan’s Mount Aso erupted Wednesday, spewing a giant column of ash thousands of metres into the sky as hikers rushed away from the popular tourist spot. No injuries were immediately reported after the late-morning eruption in southwest Japan, which sent rocks flying […]<\/p>\n
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