Japan: Sakurajima volcano eruption triggers level 5 alert, residential evacuations

Sakurajima volcano, located on the Japanese island of Kyushu, erupted in the wee hours of Sunday, spewing rocks and ash around. While there aren’t any casualties reported so far, the eruption has prompted evacuations in the region. In the aftermath, concerned authorities issued a Level 5 Alert, advising people to evacuate their homes. Residents in Kagoshima Prefecture and Kagoshima City were advised to exercise caution. 

According to the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA), the volcano erupted around 8:05 am  (local time) on Sunday. Soon, it started spewing lava, shooting a cloud of smoke or ash in the sky, as shown by footage captured by the agency’s camera. Other footage that later surfaced on social media showed orange flames flashing near the main crater and dense smoke billowing into the sky.  

It is pertinent to note that earlier on Tuesday, authorities in Kagoshima City decided to allow residents evacuated after the eruption of the Sakurajima volcano to return home temporarily, according to NHK. 

“We will put the people’s lives first and do our utmost to assess the situation and respond to any emergency,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. He called on residents in the area to pay close attention to the latest update from the local authorities to protect their lives.

Located on Pacific Ring of Fire 

The Sakurajima volcano is located about a thousand kilometres southwest of Tokyo. It is the most active volcano in Japan and makes frequent eruptions. It was an island but an eruption and subsequent lava flow in 1914 connected it with the Ōsumi Peninsula. Interestingly, Sakurajima sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" which is characterized by over 100 active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.

Just a few days ago, the skies above Antarctica were seen in stunning shades of pink and purple due to the "afterglow effect" of the Tonga volcano eruption. The mesmerising images were captured by New Zealand science technician Stuart Shaw, who is stationed at Scott Base in Antarctica. The phenomenon has been previously observed in other regions like New Zealand in June caused by aerosols in the stratosphere due to the Tonga volcanic eruption that happened in January. 

(Image: lilyregale/Twitter)