Japan's Biggest Volcano Mount Aso Erupts

By Ana Verayo / 1475972244
(Photo : Pixabay) No injuries or damages were reported after Mount Aso erupted in Japan.

One of the world's most active volcanoes and also the biggest one in Japan erupted on October 8, Saturday according to Japan's Meteorological Agency. The eruption spewed a dense pillar of volcanic ash and rocks 11,000 miles high into the atmosphere.

Mount Aso, which is located in the Kumamoto Prefecture, has been accorded the third-highest warning on a scale of five levels. Based on the warning, people are not allowed to approach the volcano, and access has been restricted around the mountain. Hot gas and falling debris have been reported after the volcano exploded from one of its 5,222 feet high peaks.

There were no injuries or damages reported after this eruption, according to local media reports. The eruption began around 1:46 a.m. local time Saturday.

This volcano first erupted in January 1980. The most recent eruption from the mountain was in September 2015, after being inactive for almost 20 years. An agency official said that Mount Aso is now in an unstable condition and can erupt again on this kind of scale.

Before its latest eruption, a smaller eruption occurred on Mount Aso on Friday. It is still uncertain if this eruption is linked to a strong earthquake that hit the Kumamoto region and Oita Prefecture in April, killing more than 49 people.

One of the most active peaks in the Mount Aso range is also a popular hiking site for locals and tourists.

Japan is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire which means this is where that majority of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the world occur. The nation has up to 100 active volcanoes.

Japan's worst volcanic disaster within 90 years happened in September 2014, during an unexpected volcanic eruption in Mount Ontake that killed 63 people in Nagano Prefecture.