One Killed and a Dozen Injured as Volcano Erupts By Japanese Ski Resort
One Killed and a Dozen Injured as Volcano Erupts By Japanese Ski Resort
Published : 23-Jan-2018 11:21
A volcanic eruption described as "small" and "unexpected" by Japanese authorities has hit a ski resort north-west of Tokyo this morning.
2,160-metre (7,090 ft) high Mt Kusatsu-Shirane was not one of those actively monitored by Japan but the eruption is reported to have set off an avalanche and a cloud of volcanic ash and sent boulders rolling down the slopes.
It is unclear how the man killed died, but reports indicate some of those hurt sustained injuries from flying glass from the gondola they were travelling in. Around 80 people are reported to have sought shelter in the gondola's top station.
"There was this huge boom, and a big plume of totally black smoke rose up," one skier told local media, "I had absolutely no idea what had happened."
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