YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 5, ARMENPRESS. One of the most active volcanoes in Japan, Sakurajima in the southwestern Japanese Prefecture of Kagoshima (Kyushu Island) began to erupt. Lava emerged from it and flows down the slope. The government of Japan established an emergency headquarters to collect information and coordination of services, “Armenpress” reports.

On press-conferences in Tokyo the Minister of National Defense Geng Nakatani said: «All the self-defense forces collect information about the damage from the eruption» (quoted by TASS).

The Japan meteorological Agency has raised the threat level from second to third on a scale of five, reports Xinhua. To the volcano is forbidden to approach closer than four kilometers. The fourth level of danger on this scale indicates the need to prepare for evacuation, and the fifth to evacuate.

It is worth noting that in 50 kilometers from Sakurajima is a nuclear power plant (NPP) «Sendai».

Above the volcano rises a pillar of thick black smoke. The footage from surveillance cameras as far as several tens meters high from the crater escaped red-hot lava.

The Sakurajima volcano is one of the most active in Japan. During the year, could contain up to hundreds of weak eruptions, however, as a rule, it is limited only by the emission of ash. The most powerful eruption occurred in 1914, when lava flows had to evacuate the residents of all neighborhoods. Then killed 35 people, reminds TASS. The last eruption was recorded on August 18, 2013. The previous occurred in March 2009.