Post date: Oct 13, 2009 12:35:55 AM
A volcano has erupted in south-western Japan, coating a nearby city with a layer of ash.
People in Kagoshima city wore masks and raincoats and used umbrellas to shield themselves from the ash after the Sakurajima volcano erupted on Sunday afternoon. Drivers turned on their headlights, and local media described the ash as like driving through snow at night.
Railway operators stopped service in the city temporarily so ash could be removed from the tracks.
Kyodo News reported no injuries. It said the smoke plume was three miles high and lava flowed about half a mile from the fissure.
TV news reports on Monday morning showed masked residents sprinkling water and sweeping up the ash. The city was mobilising garbage trucks and water sprinklers to clean up.
Japan is on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and has frequent seismic activity.
Sakurajima erupts often, and the Japan Meteorological Agency maintains a warning against people going near the volcano. It is about six miles from Kagoshima city, in Kagoshima prefecture. There were no signs of a larger eruption at Sakurajima but similar activity might continue, the agency said.