Japan warns of possible Sakurajima Volcano eruption

Japan’s weather agency has warned thousands of residents to prepare for a possible evacuation as it upgraded a volcanic eruption warning.

Authorities said that seismic activity has spiked since early Saturday around the Sakurajima Volcano that sits on the coast of the southern city of Kagoshima.

Over 600,000 residents inhabit the city, according to authorities. The warning is related to a part of the island, which is home to more than 4,000 people.

“The possibility for a large-scale eruption has become extremely high for Sakurajima,” the agency said, warning residents to exercise “strict caution” and prepare for a possible evacuation.

The volcano is about 50 kilometers from a nuclear reactor that was switched on this week. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (NPPS) was restarted on Wednesday following the 2011 crisis when a quake-sparked tsunami set off reactor meltdowns at the site.

Critics of the move said the restarted reactor is still at risk from natural disasters.

The last major eruption at the 1,117 meter high Sakurajima -- a popular tourist attraction -- happened in 2013. Authorities reported that during the eruption, the volcano spewed ash dozens of kilometers away and sent rocks flying into populated areas, causing damage but no major injuries.

There are scores of active volcanoes in Japan, which sit on the so-called “Ring of Fire,” where a large proportion of the world’s quakes and eruptions are recorded.

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