Japanese Volcano Spews Rock and Gas

Mt. Unzen spewed superheated rock, gas and ash Wednesday, and a nearby volcano also erupted, prompting officials to warn residents accustomed to that mountain’s constant rumblings.

Wednesday’s flow from Unzen, which sent volcanic debris 2 1/2 miles down the mountainside and a huge gray cloud billowing into the sky, broke a lull in activity of several days. There were no reports of new injuries or damage.

The death Wednesday of a local volunteer firefighter brought to 40 the number of lives claimed in the volcano’s June 3 eruption.

Officials watching nearby Mt. Sakurajima, meanwhile, said its volcano has been shaken by several small eruptions and hundreds of tremors over the last few days. Volcanic debris shot out of the volcano in one of its eruptions Tuesday, and a 1.2-mile-high plume was also seen.