Volcano erupts on Kuchinoerabu Island
A volcano on Kuchinoerabu Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan, erupted for the first time in 34 years on Sunday.
The local meteorological observatory has raised the alert level to 3, and is warning people not to approach Mt Shindake.
The observatory says the volcano erupted at 12:24, sending ash clouds to a height of over 800 meters. Volcanic ash has fallen around the island. The last eruption was in September 1980.
The observatory says the volcanic activity has stabilized, but people should keep away from Mt Shindake, as another eruption on a similar scale may send ash deposits to areas within 2 kilometers of the crater.