The Sakurajima volcano, one of Japan's most active volcanoes, erupted on Sunday evening, prompting evacuations in the country's southern island.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the Sakurajima volcano erupted around 8:05 p.m. local time (7:05 a.m. ET) on the island of Kyushu, blowing off large rocks as far as 1.5 miles south and sending large plumes of smoke and ash in the air. Japan's NHK News released a video from the agency capturing the flames from the eruption.
The meteorological agency issued Level 5 alert, the highest alert possible, to residential areas immediately near the volcano, such as parts of Kagoshima City, to evacuate. The city is home to around 600,000 people.
People evacuating were also advised to be cautious of falling volcanic rocks and possible flow of lava, ash and searing gas within two miles of the crater.
No injuries, deaths or damage has been immediately reported.
"We will put the people’s lives first and do our utmost to assess the situation and respond to any emergency," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki told reporters. He called on residents in the area to pay close attention to the latest update from the local authorities to protect their lives.