A volcano erupted on Japan’s Sakurajima Island sending a huge ash cloud 16,000 feet off the ground of a volcano that ejected rocks a mile away.
There was even a warning to residents to be prepared to evacuate the island if necessary.
The volcano, located in the south of Japan, began spewing lava on Thursday night, which continued today.
Dramatic footage of the eruption shows a plume of smoke rising into the sky and experts say the smoke cloud could blanket nearby towns and villages with ash.
The latest eruption of the volcano is the most powerful since 2020.
That was the last time the ash reached 16,000 feet.
No damage to buildings or injuries were reported, according to local officials.
Tellingly, the Met Office has issued a Level 3 volcanic warning for the area, urging people to remain alert for the possibility of pyroclastic flows within a mile of the top of the Minamidake volcano and Showa crater.
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It is noted that the volcano’s eruption began around 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 and sent the smoke northeast, creating poor visibility in the surrounding area.
The volcano is located 2.5 miles across the bay from the city of Kagoshima, which is home to about 600,000 residents.
Its eruption comes after Mount Otake, another volcano about 130 miles south of Sakurajima, erupted on Sunday, suggesting an increase in seismic activity.
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