TOKYO, June 22, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – Mt. Shinmoe in southwestern Japan
erupted violently on Friday at 9:09 a.m. local time, the Japan Meteorological
Agency (JMA) said.
According to the weather agency, the volcano’s latest eruption was similar
in intensity to one that occurred in April and saw plumes of smoke and
volcanic ash spewed 2,300 meters into the air from its crater.
Mt. Shinmoe, which straddles both Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures, has
seen a series of eruptions recently since October when it became particularly
active, and prior to that in the January to March period in 2011, the JMA
noted.
The JMA opted to maintain its alert level at the volcano at 3, on its
scale which peaks at 5, which warns of approaching the 1,421-meter high
volcano.
Mt. Shinmoe is one of 50 active volcanoes around Japan that are under
constant monitoring by the JMA and seismologists.
There has been no report, as yet, of accidents or injury to persons as a
result of the eruption and no damage to property of infrastructure has been
reported to local authorities.