Hyperactive volcano dusts Japanese city in ash

(Image: Kagoshima Local Meteorological Observatory/AP Photo)

One of the world’s most active volcanoes, Mount Sakurajima, erupted violently yesterday, sending a mushroom cloud 5 kilometres up above Kagoshima, Japan, and showering the city with ash.

Situated close to the southern tip of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s main islands, Mount Sakurajima is one of the few volcanoes that are almost constantly active. It has erupted every few hours or days since 1955, and shows no sign of slowing down.

As ash from the eruption drifted onto Kagoshima city nearby, people donned dust masks to protect against lung damage. Local volcano monitoring organisations also warned residents to be alert for a possible pyroclastic flow, a fast-moving torrent of hot gas and rock.

Previous eruptions of Mount Sakurajima have generated a different kind of spectacle – that of incredible volcanic lightning.