Half of all active volcanoes are located in the area of the Ring of Fire, which is why eruptions occur again and again. This time it happened in Japan.
Update from Monday, July 25, 11:45 a.m .: After a volcanic eruption in Japan, dozens of people in two surrounding towns left their homes and apartments. This is reported by the Associated Press news agency.
On the night of Sunday, large boulders fell up to 2.5 kilometers from the volcano. Footage from Japanese TV station NHK showed flames near the crater, as well as dark smoke and ash plumes high above the mountaintop. The Meteorological Authority warned of falling volcanic rock within a three-kilometer radius of the crater and a possible outflow of lava, ash and burning gas within a two-kilometer radius. The likelihood of more explosive eruptions is low, but residents should still watch out for rockfalls, mudslides and pyroclastic flows, said Tsuyoshi Nakatsuji, a volcano watcher at the agency.
Volcano eruption in Japan: Highest warning level at Sakurajima
First report from Monday, July 25: Tokyo – In southern Japan, opposite the city of Kagoshima, the Sakurajima volcano erupted. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the country. There were initially no reports of injuries or damage as a result of two eruptions on Monday morning (July 25 / local time). The meteorological authority issued the highest warning level.
The volcano spat out ash and rocks up to two and a half kilometers away. According to the television broadcaster NHK, around 50 residents of two small towns on the volcanic island were asked to get to safety as a precaution. Sakurajima is 1117 meters high.
Volcanic eruption in Japan: Ring of Fire area is frequently affected
The fact that Japan is often hit by eruptions and earthquakes is due to its special geographical location: the island kingdom is part of the so-called ring of fire. About half of all active volcanoes are found in this horseshoe-shaped zone. As recently as March, some of the Pacific Ocean islands that are on the Ring of Fire were hit by two powerful earthquakes.
The area of the Ring of Fire extends from the South American West Coast, along the West Coast of the USA via Russia and Japan to Southeast Asia. Japan has around 110 active volcanoes, 50 of which are monitored 24 hours a day. (fh/dpa)
