One soldier dead, dozens evacuated after volcano erupts at Japanese resort, raining hot boulders on skiers
The eruption of Mount Kusatsu-Shirane triggered an avalanche and showered ski slopes with black ash and volcanic rocks
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A Japanese soldier was killed on Tuesday and several others injured after a volcano erupted near the popular Kusatsu ski resort, sparking an avalanche and leaving scores stranded – including tourists from Taiwan and Britain.
Footage broadcast on Japanese television showed thick black smoke interspersed with falling rocks rolling down the snow-covered side of the volcano Mount Kusatsu-Shirane towards the ski slopes.
Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters that one of eight members of the Self Defence Forces who had been on a training mission on the mountain, northwest of Tokyo, had died after being hit by volcanic rocks.
“His lungs were damaged” because of the impact of the rocks, Onodera said, adding that the other seven soldiers had sustained injuries.
The defence ministry had initially said a total of six infantry troops were caught up in the incident.
“Black smoke rose from the top of the mountain and we were told to evacuate inside 30 minutes later,” a man who was at the ski resort told public broadcaster NHK.
NEW: Multiple injuries reported after volcanic eruption near Japanese ski resort. https://t.co/p9HeC7UyjH
The Japan Meteorological Agency says snow-covered Mount Kusatsu-Shirane erupted around 10 a.m. local time. pic.twitter.com/jAu0hb7MN0— ABC News (@ABC) January 23, 2018
About 80 people were stranded for hours at a gondola station at the top of the mountain after a power outage.
Television footage showed military helicopters buzzing overhead as people were airlifted to safety.
Yuko Iguchi, an official from nearby the Kusatsu resort town, said: “All the people stranded at the summit were brought down to the safe zone. We have not received any injured people among them.”
Another local official, Yoichi Takai, said “15 people from Taiwan and four from Britain were among those who were stranded at the peak”.
One woman who was trapped at the gondola station but later rescued told Japanese television: “There was an eruption in front of my eyes. Black and white plumes came towards me. Then the ski slope went completely black.”
The area had seen heavy snowfall in the hours leading up to the eruption, making the slopes ripe for avalanches.
A snowboarder told NHK his gondola had stopped suddenly and he saw that other gondolas around him had broken windows and were covered in ash.
“I realised it was an eruption. Forty to 50 minutes later, all the gondolas moved up to the station on the top of the mountain,” he said.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency urged people to stay away after it detected what it said was “slight volcanic activity”.
Agency official Makoto Saito said the volcano could still spew more rocks and ash, and that there was a risk of further avalanches.
A local fire service official said 10 people had been hurt in the incident.
“Five of them were seriously injured. We began sending the injured to a hospital,” he said.
Among the injured were four people hurt by shattered glass while on a ropeway gondola at the ski resort.
Japan, with scores of active volcanoes, sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire where a large proportion of the world’s quakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.
On September 27, 2014, Japan suffered its deadliest eruption in almost 90 years when Mount Ontake, in central Nagano prefecture, burst unexpectedly to life.
An estimated 63 people were killed in the shock eruption, which occurred as the peak was packed with hikers out to see the region’s spectacular autumn colours.
According to the meteorological agency, this was the first time Mount Kusatsu-Shirane has erupted since 1983.
There are currently 111 active volcanoes in Japan, according to agency officials.
