Japanese authorities expanded the no-go zone at Mt Shinmoe in the south-west of the country late Sunday, warning of a possible escalation in eruptions, according to dpa. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a warning to stay at least 3 kilometres away from the crater of Mt Shinmoe on the border between the prefectures of Kagoshima and Miyazaki. The ash plume rose about 2,300 metres above the crater of the 1,421-metre volcano after it erupted again on Saturday following its first eruption in six years on Wednesday. The agency detected a significant increase in volcanic gas emitted, warning that more eruptions could occur. It maintained the alert level at 3 on a scale of 5, warning that areas within three kilometres of the crater could be exposed to volcanic rocks and pyroclastic flows, a mixture of ash, gas and lava.
