TOKYO: Dozens of people were urged to evacuate their homes after a fiery volcanic eruption in southern Japan on Sunday as the national weather agency issued its top-level alert for the mountain.

Television footage showed red-hot rocks and dark plu­mes exploding from Sakur­ajima volcano in Kagoshima, which erupted just after 8 pm. There were no immediate reports of damage, said deputy chief cabinet secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has instructed the government “to work closely with the local municipality to ensure damage prevention, such as through evacuations,” Isozaki told reporters.

The volcano frequently spits out smoke and ash, and is a major tourist attraction.

Sunday’s blast propelled large cinders about 2.5 kilometres from the crater, the Japan Meteorological Age­ncy (JMA) said, while the smoke reached around 300 metres and merged with the clouds. The agency raised its alert for Sakurajima to level five, the top level, which urges evacuations. Previously it was at level three, which bans entry to the mountain.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2022