Southwestern Japan volcano erupts for 1st time in 6 years

October 11, 2017

TOKYO- An active volcano in southwestern Japan erupted on Wednesday morning for the first time in about six years, the Japan Meteorological Agency said the same day.

Shinmoedake, which is part of the Kirishima mountain range straddling Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, started erupting around 5:34 a.m. (8:34 p.m. Tuesday GMT). Shinmoedake last erupted on Sept. 7, 2011.

The agency raised its volcanic alert for Shinmoedake to Level 3, restricting entry to the volcano, from Level 2, which calls for people to refrain from approaching craters.Jiji Press