Mount Io: Japan volcano erupts for first time in 250 years
Officials warn local residents of falling volcanic rocks and ash
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A volcano in southern Japan has erupted for the first time in 250 years, blasting clouds of smoke and rocks into the sky.
Authorities have established a no-go zone around Mount Io, a 1,298m (4,258ft) high volcano on the island of Kyushu which last erupted in 1768.
Explosions briefly subsided on Friday, but officials cautioned residents in nearby towns against falling volcanic rocks and ash.
Japan’s Metrological Agency expanded a no-go zone which was previously just around the volcano’s crater to the entire mountain.
TV footage showed grayish smoke jetting from several spots on the side of the mountain in the Kirishima range, in a rural area about 985km (616 miles) from Tokyo.
The warning level for Mount Io was raised from 2 to 3 on Japan’s 5-level scale, with the Japan’s Meteorological Agency warning volcanic rocks could be hurled as far as 2km (1.2 miles).
Mount Io has become the latest in a series of eruptions in Japan this year, which have killed one person.
In January, a member of the military was killed and 11 people injured, some critically, when the Kusatsu-Shirane volcano rained rocks down on skiers at a resort in central Japan.
Two months later, Shinmoedake – a volcano featured in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, which sits in the same Kirishima range as Mount Io – shot smoke and ash thousands of metres into the sky.
Japan sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” with 110 active volcanoes and it monitors 47 of them around the clock.
In September 2014, 63 people were killed on Mount Ontake, the worst volcanic death toll in Japan for nearly 90 years.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments