The 137 residents living on the southern Japanese island of Kuchinoerabujima had to get away from their homes today and Nippon Airlines had to divert some flights as a sudden Japanese volcano eruption occurred at Mount Shindake.
The blast threw debris, smoke and hot gas about 9,000 meters or 29,000 feet into the air as authorities from the Japan Meteorological Agency warned of the possibility of more eruptions. It was reported that ash had covered Yakushima, which is about 12 kilometers or seven miles east of the eruption.
Minor Injuries in Japanese Volcano Eruption, No Deaths Reported
The volcano is said to have erupted at about 10AM local time, and the rocks and lava from the sudden Japanese volcano eruption of Mount Shaindake reportedly haven’t caused any deaths, but there was report of a 72-year old man receiving minor face burns. The injured man and one other person had been airlifted to Yakushima, the closest island. Many were said to be shaken up, concerned about their homes and possessions they had to leave behind in their quest for safer ground. Residents had to travel via coast guard vessels and fishing boats.
Some Flights Diverted, Questions on Restart of Kyushu Nuclear Plant
Nippon Airways diverted some of its flights as a precautionary measure, but Japan Airlines reported that none of their flights were to be changed at this time. In other concerns regarding the Japanese volcano eruption, there were questions on whether or not the Mount Shindake blast would cause any problems for the restarting of the Kyushu Electric Power’s Sendai nuclear plant. The plant had just finished clearing all of the required safety measures on Wednesday. The new measures were put into place after the March 11, 2011 earthquake that caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant catastrophe.
Alert Level Raised Due to Japanese Volcano Eruption
The alert level of the area has been set at five, which is the highest possible setting. The last time Mount Shindake erupted was August 2014. Kuchinoerabujima is located around 130 kilometers or 70 miles from the island of Kuushu, which is about 1,000 kilometers or 620 miles from Tokyo. This isn’t the first Japanese volcano eruption on the island, as there have been several, including one in 1933 that killed eight persons.
