Volcano in Japan Spews Lava, Gases
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TOKYO — A volcano in southwestern Japan continued to spew out lava and hot gases Sunday, injuring a mountain worker and forcing the evacuation of 1,560 residents, police said.
Lava flowed to within about 550 yards of a residential area in a town at the foot of the 4,485-foot Mt. Unzendake in Nagasaki prefecture, a police official said.
Huge clouds of steam and smoke billowed over the volcano, which erupted Nov. 17 for the first time in 198 years and then again Feb. 12. Further eruptions have been predicted.
The town of Shimabara was plunged into darkness by clouds of volcanic dust. A heavy rain later filled the streets with sludge.
Joji Ueda, 36, had climbed to within about 1.5 miles of the volcano to look at the smoke when hot gases burned him on the arms and shoulder, the police official said. He said Ueda climbed down himself.
Ueda had been in a group removing rocks from previous eruptions that accumulated at a barrier set up to block volcanic debris.
Lava began trickling from the volcano May 17, said Kenji Fujiwara of the Tokyo Central Meteorological Agency.
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