Volcanic eruption in Japan: Rocks burned as far as 2,5 km from Sakurajima, residents of two cities evacuated

Dozens of residents were evacuated from two towns on Japan's main southern island of Kyushu, where a volcano erupted on Sunday and spewed ash and large rocks into the air.

Large rocks fell as far as 2,5 kilometers from the Sakurajima volcano in southern Kagoshima Prefecture, about 1.000 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.

By this morning, 33 residents had left their homes and headed to a care facility in a safer part of the area, according to the city of Kagoshima.

For now, there is no information about damage or injuries.

The crater of the volcano has not been visible since this morning due to bad weather.

Footage from Japan's public broadcaster NHK showed orange flames near the crater and dark smoke with ash billowing high above the mountaintop.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) raised the eruption alert to the highest level of five and advised 51 residents in two cities to evacuate their homes.

The JMA warned that volcanic rocks could fall within a radius of three kilometers around the crater and that lava, ash and burning gas could flow within a radius of two kilometers.

The chances of a more explosive, violent eruption are low, but residents should still watch out for falling rocks, landslides and pyroclastic flows, the JMA said.

Sakurajima, on the main southern island of Kyushu, is one of Japan's most active volcanoes and has erupted several times.

It used to be an island, but it became a peninsula after an eruption in 1914 that killed 58 people.