Volcano erupts in Southern Japan

A volcano erupted on a remote island in southern Japan on Thursday, the meteorological agency said, but the warning level was kept below the scale requiring evacuation.

The volcano erupted, blasting rocks and ashes into the air but causing no damage or injuries.

Japan Meteorological Agency said the eruption of the Shindake volcano on Kuchinoerabu island sent rocks flying and hot gas and debris pouring down the crater. It has not reached the residential area 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away, the agency said.

Officials said no damage or injuries have been reported. About 80 residents initially took refuge at a shelter on the island but have since started to return home after an evacuation advisory was lifted less than two hours after the eruption.

The eruption had released pyroclastic flows, or flows of super-heated ash and gas, Kyodo News said, but the flows had not reached residential areas.

Shizuko Goto, an innkeeper, told Kyodo News agency that she felt the ground rattling for several seconds following an explosion and decided to evacuate after seeing a massive cloud of black smoke rise from the volcano.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga urged residents to stay calm and follow safety instructions from local officials.

Shindake's last major eruption in May 2015 had temporarily displaced the island's entire population of about 150. The residents were evacuated to Yakushima Island, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) to the east. The residents eventually returned and some 100 people now live there.

Only about two-thirds of them had since returned to Kuchinoerabu, south of Japan's main southern island of Kyushu.

Japan has 110 active volcanoes and monitors 47 constantly.