May 29, 2015
Volcano Erupts in Southern Japan
A volcano on Kuchinoerabu Island in southern Japan has erupted. Japan Meteorological Agency officials say it was a powerful explosion. They've issued the highest-level warning, and an evacuation order has been enacted.
Mount Shindake exploded just before 10 AM Friday local time, sending up a 9,000-meter column of smoke. About 140 people live on the island. One resident says he heard a huge explosion when the volcano erupted. Officials say rapid flows of gases and rocks have reached the coast - and there could be worse to come.
"Stronger and larger explosions could occur," warns Japan Meteorological Agency spokesman Sadayuki Kitagawa. "We want people in areas where pyroclastic flows are possible to follow instructions from local authorities, including evacuation orders."
Kuchinoerabu is just 50 kilometers around and is located in Kagoshima Prefecture, about 15 kilometers from the UNESCO World Heritage site Yakushima Island. Mount Shindake claimed eight lives when it erupted several times 80 years ago.
The mountain had been quiet for 34 years - until last August when it spewed large rocks several hundred meters from the crater.
Experts claim they were on alert at the time of Friday's eruption. "We'd seen signs that are consistent with an impending large eruption. These include swelling of the ground. And volcanic earthquakes were detected in January and on Saturday. This eruption was much larger than the one last August," said Masato Iguchi of Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has set up an emergency taskforce: "I've ordered officials to work closely with local municipalities to secure the residents' safety. And I asked them to monitor the volcano carefully and provide accurate and timely information to the residents," he said.
Some injuries have been reported, but government officials have confirmed all residents are safe. Officials plan to keep them off the island until the danger has passed.
--
__._,_.___
No comments:
Post a Comment