Plumes of ash and smoke shot up to 2000m into the air after Japan’s largest active volcano, Mount Aso, erupted on Monday morning in Kumamoto, Mashable reports.
However, there have been no reports of any injuries yet. A surveillance footage released by Japan’s Meteorological Agency showed a column of black smoke rising out of the volcano in the Kumamoto prefecture.
The 1,592-metre (5,222 feet) Mount Aso is one of the most active peaks in Japan but is also a popular hiking spot. There were a handful of people at a parking lot near the peak but they were being evacuated safely, officials said.
They said the eruption had come without warning.
Japan Airlines also cancelled its flights to and from Kumamoto after news of the eruption broke.
The volcano had also erupted last year spewing ash and rocks 1,500m into the air, causing more than 30 flights that travel past it to be cancelled.
An aerial view shows an eruption of Mount Aso in Aso, Kumamoto prefecture, southwestern Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo September 14, 2015. Reuters Photo
(With inputs from Reuters)