A volcano, which lies on Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture, erupted early morning on Saturday. Japan's Meteorological Agency said that Mount Aso, the country's largest active volcano, spewed volcanic ash 7 miles into the skies.
The eruption started at 1:46 a.m. local time on one of the peaks of the 5,222 feet-mountain. It was the first eruption at the peak since 1980. In 1979, three tourists on Mount Aso were killed by large rocks that were thrown up during an eruption. Mount Aso is among the most active peaks in Japan but it also happens to be a popular hiking spot.
No injury or major damage has been reported in the latest eruption so far albeit many buildings and cars were left cloaked with thick ash.
Alert level for the volcano, however, has been raised to level 3, which means that people should not approach the mountain and there are threats of falling rocks.
A Meteorological Agency official said that the mountain is in an unstable condition and there is a possibility that it could erupt again. The official also warned residents of the dangers posed by rocks, gas and volcanic ash from the volcano.
It is not yet clear if the eruption is linked to powerful earthquakes that hit Kumamoto and Oita Prefecture in April this year, which killed 49 people.
The city government of Aso already opened shelters at 10 locations.
Japan sits on the so-called Ring of Fire where a large chunk of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. The country is known to have 100 active volcanoes.
Volcanic eruptions can be very deadly. Two years ago, the unexpected eruption of Mount Ontake killed 63 people in what is considered as the country's worst volcanic disaster for nearly 90 years.
Preparedness during these natural catastrophes is very crucial to survival that Japanese researchers have been conducting studies to improve prediction of volcanic eruptions.
Last year, researchers from the Tohoku University and meteorological agency officials, triggered an artificial earthquake on 6,040 feet Mount Zao, which straddles Miyagi and Yamagata Prefectures, to learn how they can better predict when a volcanic eruption is about to happen.
Last month, researchers who used a new method for imaging the underground plumbing system of volcanoes, have warned that the Sakurajima volcano, which last erupted in 1914 and caused massive flooding in the nearby city of Kagoshima, could erupt again in the next few decades. The volcano killed 58 people when it last erupted.
