Volcano eruption raises threat level in southwestern Japan (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
Japan's Meteorological Agency has raised the alert level for the Kyushu region to three on a five-grade scale, after a volcano on Mount Shinmoe in the Kirishima mountain range erupted for the first time in six years early Wednesday morning.
No injuries or damage have been reported so far, according to local police, following the 5:34am eruption at Shinmoe which sent plumes of smoke some 300 meters into the air and covered the town of Takaharusent in ash.
あらら!!!!! 今後の情報に注意です#新燃岳#火山pic.twitter.com/qo0uHUOif4
— 吉留直人 (@NaotoYoshidome) October 10, 2017
結構噴火してるんじゃない？新燃岳か？？ pic.twitter.com/n2XT2Fasxg
— ロクゾウ@ウマめし (@hasetec) October 10, 2017
火山灰降っててバイクでまともに走れん。#新燃岳#火山灰pic.twitter.com/KBjgKZ4c5f
— りゅうとはマフラー変えたら左折出来なくな (@r_vn400a_) October 11, 2017
The volcano, which continues to show signs of increased activity, prompted Japan's Meteorological Agency to raise the alert level to three, advising people to stay away from the active crater. The highest level 5 would require people to vacate the area.
[産経]新燃岳、活動が活発化の可能性も 気象庁 https://t.co/P7rqiunM22 １１日未明に噴火した宮崎、鹿児島県境にある霧島連山の新燃岳について、気象庁は同日、記者会見を開き、山体が膨張する傾斜変動が続いているため、「今後、さらに活動が活発になる可能性がある」… pic.twitter.com/VPZc8XfYfz
— 5newspaper (@_5newspaper) October 11, 2017
昨日会社で、「なんか新燃岳おかしくないけぇ？」と話していたらやっぱり噴きましたね🌋街にも降灰してきました🌀そして朝から鹿児島TCAに報道ヘリが多数入ってます📡空港はヘリ祭り🚁✨w pic.twitter.com/1QFKsoYlTR
— ひゅうが (@hyuga_mt_419) October 11, 2017
新燃岳噴火、先程の様子。高原町も降灰しているようで、硫黄臭がするとの事。(父より pic.twitter.com/6uiMF5Bzcf
— @YKT (@hy_cam2) October 10, 2017
The eruption continued after the initial blast, with the amount of plume steadily increasing. In addition, volcanic tremors are also continuing with the amplitude gradually increasing, the agency said. It warned people to watch out for “large burning stones and pyroclastic flow” within a two-kilometer range from the crater.
READ MORE: Japanese volcano dramatically erupts, spewing ash on surrounding countryside (VIDEO)
The last major eruption of the volcano took place on September 7, 2011.
