A plume of smoke about 300 meters high rises above the Sakurajima volcano in Japan. It's raining ash and rocks. Dozens of residents in the south of the country have to be brought to safety.
Sakurajima volcano erupted in southern Japan. The highest warning level was declared. The volcano spat out ash and rocks up to two and a half kilometers away. Television images showed how red-hot rock shot out of the crater and a cloud of smoke rose about 300 meters above the volcano.
According to the television broadcaster NHK, around 50 residents of two small towns on the volcanic island were asked to get to safety as a precaution. According to the government, there were initially no reports of injuries or damage.
The volcano is located across from the city of Kagoshima on Japan's southwestern main island of Kyushu. The 1117 meter high Sakurajima is one of the most active volcanoes in the country. The fact that Japan is often hit by eruptions and earthquakes is due to its special geographical location: the island kingdom is part of the so-called ring of fire. About half of all active volcanoes are found in this horseshoe-shaped zone. The area extends from the South American west coast, along the west coast of the USA via Russia and Japan to Southeast Asia. Japan has around 110 active volcanoes. About 50 of them are monitored around the clock.
