Mount Aso, a volcano on Japan’s main southern island of Kyushu, has erupted, Japan’s Meteorological Agency said, blasting a plume of black smoke 1.2 miles (2km) high, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The 1,592-metre (5,222ft) high Mount Aso is one of the most active peaks in Japan but also a popular hiking spot. There were a handful of people at a parking lot near the peak but they were being evacuated safely, officials said on Monday. They said the eruption had come without warning.