Spectacular eruption at volcano just 30 miles from nuclear power station

A volcano just 30 miles away from one of Japan’s nuclear power stations has erupted, sending lava flowing down its slope and spewing ash and stones into the night sky. Dramatic pictures of the fiery spectacle at Sakurajima show flashes of volcanic lightning - thought to be caused by friction between ash particles and gases. There were no immediate reports of injuries in the area near the 1,117m volcano, home to some 4,000 people. The nearby Sendai nuclear plant has not issued any warnings - although Greenpeace warned the danger from ash deposits had been underestimated.

It appears that stones have been thrown about 2km from the crater, but this area is quite far from any communities

Kazuhiro Ishihara, Kyoto University

An eruption in 1914 was the most powerful in 20th century Japan and creating lava flows connecting the former island to the Kyushu mainland. However, the volcano, in the southern Kagoshima prefecture, has been rumbling since August when people living nearby were told to prepare for a possible evacuation of the area. "I don’t think there will be any serious impact from the explosion,“ said Kyoto University professor Kazuhiro Ishihara. "But of course we must keep monitoring the volcanic activity.”

Sakurajima