Tokyo, Dec. 28, (dpa/GNA) – A volcano on a remote southern Japanese island erupted early Monday, prompting authorities to lift alert levels.
Mount Otake on Suwanose Island erupted at around 2:48 am (1748 GMT Sunday), spewing rocks and smoke into the air, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
There were no reports of casualties or damage to property.
The agency raised the alert level from 2 to 3, on a scale of 5, warning that areas within 2 kilometres of the crater could be exposed to volcano rocks.
Smoke billowed 200 metres into the sky following the eruption and large rocks were thrown to about 1.3 kilometres from the crater of the 799-metre-high volcano, according to the agency.
Japan is home to more than 100 active volcanoes.
GNA