Preparedness in Japan after the eruption of the Sakurajima volcano in the south of the country

An evacuation order was issued for some sparsely populated residential areas in the city of Kagoshima, southern Japan, after the big eruption of Sakurajima volcano on Sunday, July 24. Television footage showed lava flowing and ash flying from the volcano.

An explosion spewed ash 2.5 kilometers from the crater, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, while smoke rose to about 300 meters and mixed with clouds. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki said there were no immediate reports of damage.

However, the Japan Meteorological Agency raised the alert level for Sakurajima to 5, the highest level. Before the eruption, which occurred on Sunday after 8 pm local time (1 pm in Paris), the alert was at level 3, which prohibits access to the mountain.

Authorities in Kagoshima Resort have ordered people who live in the Arimura district and part of the Furusato District to leave, according to local media. Kagoshima Municipality has a population of about 600,000.

“The settlements of Arimura and Forsato, located within a radius of 3 km from the crater of Sakurajima, must be on high alert.”JMA said earlier in a statement.

Many active volcanoes

According to Tsuyoshi Nakatsuji, of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the latter noticed the eruption of the volcano last week, a sign of magma accumulation. “But the swelling hasn’t gone away after the last eruption.”confirming that JMA Watch this carefully..

Sakurajima Volcano, which frequently spews smoke and ash, is one of the most popular tourist sites in Japan. The country has many active volcanoes. It is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions have been recorded in the world.

Sakurajima was once an island, but due to previous volcanic eruptions, it is now connected to a peninsula. The last time Japan issued an evacuation alert for a volcano was when the island of Kochinorabu erupted in 2015.