At 1:46 am Saturday, Oct. 8, Mt. Also in Kumamoto Prefecture, erupted and sent ash several thousands of meters into the air. Light to moderate ash fell in the surrounding areas (30 kms) and ash falls are predicted as far as 250 kms away. Japan Meteorological Agency raised the alert warning to level three from level two and are calling on people to beware of falling rocks and pyroclastic flows within 2 kilometers of the crater. Kyushu Electric Power Company said about 1,600 households in the region were without electricity for about 20 minutes. Reports of rattling windows and the smell of sulphur in the have been reported, but no major damage or injuries. According to the agency, the No. 1 crater of Nakadake peak erupted for the first time in 36 years at 1:46 a.m. The last eruption there occurred Jan. 26, 1980. Source: various local news sources, Oct. 8.
