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Volcano coats Japan city with ash

Drivers use their headlights as the streets are covered by ash after the Sakurajima volcano erupted earlier in the day in Kagoshima (AP) Expand
Officials wearing masks clean pavements covered by ash (AP/Kyodo News) Expand

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Drivers use their headlights as the streets are covered by ash after the Sakurajima volcano erupted earlier in the day in Kagoshima (AP)

Drivers use their headlights as the streets are covered by ash after the Sakurajima volcano erupted earlier in the day in Kagoshima (AP)

Officials wearing masks clean pavements covered by ash (AP/Kyodo News)

Officials wearing masks clean pavements covered by ash (AP/Kyodo News)

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Drivers use their headlights as the streets are covered by ash after the Sakurajima volcano erupted earlier in the day in Kagoshima (AP)

A volcano has erupted in south-west Japan and coated a nearby city with a layer of ash.

People in Kagoshima wore raincoats and used umbrellas to shield themselves from the ash after the Sakurajima volcano erupted.

Local media said drivers had to turn on their headlights and reported the ash resembled driving through snow at night.

Kyodo News said the plume was 5,000 meters high and lava flowed about a kilometre from the fissure.

It also said that railway operators stopped service in the city while ash was removed from the tracks. It reported that no one has been hurt.

Japan has frequent seismic activity. Kyodo cited the Japan Meteorological Agency as saying there are no signs of a larger eruption at Sakurajima but similar activity may continue.

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