MOUNT SHINMOE ERUPTS: Japan volcano explodes into life for first time in seven years

The eruptions are continuing from the 1,421-metre Mount Shinmoe volcano that straddles Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures on the southwestern island of Kyushu, with smoke and ash rising more than 3,000 metres. 

The substances spewing from the volcano, that features in James Bond film You Only Live Twice, saw some 65 flights cancelled yesterday, with many more affected today as the volcanic movements continued. 

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, small eruptions began last Thursday, with active volcanic tremors detected before the volcano erupted yesterday afternoon. 

In an eruption earlier today, a large volcanic rock flew around 1 kilometre from the crater, the agency said. No injuries or damage to buildings have been reported. 

A thick coating of soot has covered cars in Kirishima city as the base of the volcano. People are wearing surgical masks and covering their mouths with towels, while others are using umbrellas to protect themselves from the settling ash. 

Lava is continuing to simmer inside the crater, with the meteorological agency warning about the risk of dense volcanic rocks shooting through the air. 

The agency is also warning residents near Mount Shinmoe of possible fatal pyroclastic flows. These are made up of lava blocks, pumice, ash and extremely hot volcanic gas that streams down a volcano’s slope to essentially vaporise anything in its path. 

It warned that they can destroy buildings, forests and ignite fires and if the rocks piling up to 700 don’t kill people, the heated gas and ash can choke them to death.

Japan has 110 active volcanoes and monitors 47 of them around the clock. 

In 2014, an eruption of Mount Intake killed around 60 people. In January, an eruption at central Japan’s Mount Kusatsu-Shirane killed a training soldier and injured 11 people in the resulting ash cloud.