VOLCANO ERUPTS IN JAPAN

Minor volcanic eruption observed on Mt. Asama, alert level raised

By Mukayi Sam

A small eruption was observed Wednesday on Mt. Asama in eastern Japan, prompting the volcanic alert level to be raised from 1 to 3 on a scale that goes up to 5, while there were no immediate reports of injuries, the weather agency and local authorities said.

The eruption occurred at 10:08 p.m. near the crater of the 2,568-meter-high volcano, with smoke reaching about 1,800 meters above the mountain, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The elevated alert level means people should not approach the mountain.

The agency warned of possible flying rocks and pyroclastic flows within about a 4-km radius of the crater.

At a press conference early Thursday, the agency said no pyroclastic flows had occurred in the latest eruption, while urging people to stay out of harm's way by following instructions from local authorities.

The agency said the volcano spewed ash deposits as far as 200 meters from the crater, which is situated on the border between Gunma and Nagano Prefectures. The eruption lasted about 20 minutes.

Mt. Adams's Crater minutes after the eruption