On Sunday, the Sakurajima volcano in Japan, which lies on the island of Kyushu, erupted, forcing the evacuation of the area.
Around 8:05 p.m. local time, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the volcano erupted (7:05 a.m. ET). A cloud of smoke or ash could be seen rising from the volcano in surveillance footage from the organization.
The highest level of alert, Level Five, was declared by JMA, urging people to leave the area. Residents of Kagoshima Prefecture and Kagoshima City were cautioned by JMA. There were no reports of casualties or damage right away.
Japan’s nuclear regulators stated that no anomalies had been found at the adjacent Sendai nuclear power plant. Sakurajima is one of Japan’s most active volcanoes, according to NASA, and has recently erupted multiple times. In January of last year, it last erupted, sending kilometers of ash into the air. The volcano is situated in Japan’s southernmost prefecture of Kagoshima.
