Aso volcano, one of the most active in Japan, began to erupt today, spewing out a giant column of ash 3500 meters high. Tourists who arrived at this tourist spot in the southwestern part of the archipelago rushed to evacuate, AFP reports citing BTA.
At the moment, there are no reports of injuries, although rocks were scattered in the area after a spectacular explosion, captured by television cameras. The authorities warned local residents and tourists not to approach the volcano, on the slopes of which hot gases flow, stones roll and ash crumbles.
People nearby should beware of large boulders thrown out of the volcano, Tomoaki Ozaki of the Japan Meteorological Agency said at a televised press conference. The agency last announced the same level of alarm over the Aso volcano in 2016, when it erupted again after being reactivated the previous year after 19 years of sleep.
The Japanese archipelago is located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where the most earthquakes on the planet are recorded, reminds AFP. Ace is among those closely watched by a total of 110 active volcanoes in Japan. The other is Fuji, a hundred kilometers from the capital Tokyo, in the central part of the archipelago.