Tourists Evacuated Amid Volcanic Eruption on Mt. Aso

Tokyo (PNA/Kyodo) — Tourists were evacuated and flights diverted with the eruption of Mt. Aso in the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto Monday, authorities said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The eruption occurred at around 9:43 a.m., shooting ash 2,000 meters into the air and scattering large rocks, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The agency raised the alert level for the mountain to level 3 on the scale of 5, calling on people not to approach the mountain. It said there was danger from falling rocks and smoke from the plume. (PNA/Kyodo) FFC/SSC