Thousands flee as volcano erupts in Japan

Thousands flee as volcano erupts in Japan
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

TOKYO, MARCH 31: After remaining dormant for two decades, Japan's Mount Usu volcano erupted Friday spewing rocks, ash and gas, and forcing evacuation of thousands of residents.

Mt Usu, a midget of a mountain in Japan's northern-most island prefecture of Hokkaido blew its top, throwing up molten magma that flowed down in several directions, the first report said.

The eruption forced evacuation of more than 13,000 people, already shifted to safer places over the past few days after the mountain showed signs of erupting.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or casualties.

Earlier, televisions showed that Usu, which does not stand higher than 800 metres, cracked and was about to split open its head any moment.

When the eruption occurred, the authorities were prepared to handle the emergency.

During the 24 hours preceding the eruption, there were almost constant tremors shaking the whole region as scientists took positions to watch the event from various angles.

Mt Usu last erupted in 1977, killing two people and leaving another unaccounted for.

Public-warning sirens began blaring in the area after the volcano blew its top at 1:09 pm (9:39 IST).

A huge column of gray smoke billowed out of the 732 metre mountain, television showed, while the meterological agency said a small-sized pyroclastic flow is moving toward the Pacific Ocean. The eruption occured in a southerly direction toward the sea, away from the lake Toya, the hot spring resort area in the North, police said.

"I heard no sound and felt few tremors (at the moment ofthe eruption)," Massaki Hatakeyama, a town official from Sobftsu, near the volcano, said. "It's getting a little dark due to gray volcanic smoke," he said looking outside from the town office.

Tsutomu Kikuchi, a village official from nearby Toya said: "The volcano's smoke has reached much lower than that of the previous eruption in 1977."

The crew of a self-defence helicopter at the scene couldnot observe the crator of the volcano as it was covered by smoke. The Central Governmnet set up a task force headed by Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to deal with the crisis.

The blast was expected as seismic tremors had continued at the volcano and a number of cracks have been found in and around it, indicating an eruption was imminent.

Fairly strong quakes measuring up to a lower 5 on the Japanese intensity scale of 7 had been repeatedly recorded in areas at the foot of the mountain since Wednesday. Volcanic eruptions are often preceded by heightened seismic activity.