A volcano on Japan's Kyushu island erupted several times on Sunday (Nov. 17), releasing smoke and ash up to 4.4 kilometers into the air, which led to numerous flight cancellations.
Sakurajima, located at the southern tip of Kyushu near Kagoshima, first erupted around 1 am, local time, followed by two additional eruptions at approximately 2:30 am and 8:50 am.
According to Kyodo News, this marks the first eruption reaching 4 kilometers or more in nearly 13 months. Local reports indicated that 30 flights at Kagoshima Airport were canceled due to ashfall and related issues.
The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) noted that the volcanic ash drifted northeast from the latest eruption, anticipating ash to fall in both Kagoshima and the nearby Miyazaki Prefecture on Sunday. Sakurajima is among Japan's most active volcanoes, with regular eruptions of various intensities; in 2019, it expelled ash as high as 5.5 kilometers.
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