Volcano erupts in Japan, residents unharmed

Tokyo, Jan 17 (IANS) A volcano erupted on Thursday in Japan's Kuchinoerabu island, but residents near the mountain remained unharmed, officials said. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), Mt. Shindake erupted at 9.19 a.m., reports Xinhua news agency. Residents and visitors to the island were initially advised to ensure their safety and await further information. This bulletin was quickly followed by an evacuation advisory for the 109 islanders living in 71 households. The advisory however, was lifted within an hour. Following Thursday's eruption, which saw pyroclastic flows, the JMA maintained the alert level for the volcano at 3 on its scale which peaks at 5. The current alert level prohibits climbers from climbing the mountain, particularly near the cone, but has no restrictions on residents' daily movements. According to Japan's public broadcaster NHK, eruptions on the island have occurred intermittently since October last year, with an explosive eruption occurring on December 18.