Japan warnt vor erhöhter Aktivität des Vulkans Sakurajima, der rund 50 Kilometer vom Atomkraftwerk Sendai auf der Insel Kyushu entfernt ist. Das AKW ist erst letzten Dienstag wieder in Betrieb genommen worden. Nach der Katastrophe von Fukushima im März 2011 wurde es abgeschaltet. Siehe: Aus Fukushima nichts gelernt – Neustart der Atomenergie in Japan – Kyushu Electric eyes Tuesday restart for Sendai reactor. 
Die Bewohner in der Nähe des Vulkans Sakurajima auf Kyushu sind nun an einem sichereren Orte evakuiert worden, nachdem am Samstag die Regierung ihre Alarmstufe auf 4 einer 5-Punkte-Skala erhöhten.
Der Sakurajima auf der im Süden Japans gelegenen Insel Kyushu ist einer der aktivsten Vulkane des Landes. Fast ununterbrochen kommt es zu Eruptionen. Doch nun könne es bald einen größeren Ausbruch geben, sagte ein Vertreter der meteorologischen Behörde.
Die meteorologischen Behörden empfehlen, dass die Bevölkerung auf eine Evakuierung vorbereitet wird. Es komme fast ununterbrochen zu Eruptionen im Vulkan. Ein «Steinregen» sei möglich. Japans Atomaufsichtsbehörde hingegen schätzt das Risiko als gering ein. Irgendwie kennen wir diese Aussagen von Tepco.
Die ersten Menschen im Umkreis wurden nun evakuiert – und wir stellen fest, dass Japan aus Fukushima rein gar nichts gelernt hat.
In Fukushima war es im März 2011 nach einem schweren Erdbeben und einem verheerenden Tsunami zu Explosionen und zur Kernschmelze gekommen. Wegen der freigesetzten radioaktiven Strahlung mussten etwa 160 000 Menschen in der Region ihre Häuser verlassen.
| Warning | Level 4 (Prepare to evacuate) | Sakurajima | 10:15 JST, 15 August 2015 |
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/volcano/
Japan: Evacuation warning as Sakurajima Volcano near nuclear reactor ready to erupt http://t.co/QYM1MbNv1m pic.twitter.com/xUpFMlzags
— IBTimes UK (@IBTimesUK) 16. August 2015
8_15_15 SAKURAJIMA VOLCANO: CHANCE OF LARGE ERUPTION ‘EXTREMELY HIGH’ http://t.co/zUwn276gj2 pic.twitter.com/vucqFywtgf — B_I_B_L_I_C_A_L (@B_I_B_L_I_C_A_L) 15. August 2015
VIDEO: Giappone, prevista imminente eruzione del vulcano Sakurajima http://t.co/k8DyuDSGyv
— Sky TG24 (@SkyTG24) 16. August 2015
People near Sakurajima volcano told to prepare to evacuate. Restarted Sendai #nuclear plant is 10 min train ride away pic.twitter.com/rVTvwiFlx1 — Kjeld Duits (@KjeldDuits) 15. August 2015
#Japan issues eruption alert for #Sakurajima volcano just 52 km away from Sendai nuke plant which restarted days ago. pic.twitter.com/re9EC39jIX — Thoton & The News (@Thoton) 15. August 2015
川内原発再稼動直後から桜島噴火警報、レベル4って。 原発と桜島は約50kmか。 pic.twitter.com/nN69eCcOKZ
— nori (@n_yu_ka) 15. August 2015
Families near Japanese volcano Sakurajima evacuated as major eruption level raised
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 15 August, 2015, 10:13pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 16 August, 2015, 6:38am
Residents near the Sakurajima volcano on Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island, evacuated to safer places Saturday after the government raised its alert level to 4 on a 5-point scale, indicating a major eruption could be imminent.
Level 4 is the highest ever for Sakurajima, located just 4 kilometres away from the centre of the major southern port city of Kagoshima, since the current volcanic alert system was launched in 2007.
Kyushu Electric Power’s Sendai nuclear power plant, which Tuesday became the first to be rebooted under tighter safety rules adopted in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, is located just 50km from the volcano. No abnormality has been reported at the plant.
The alert was raised to 4, meaning people living in the area should prepare to evacuate, from 3, which restricts entry to the mountain area. In response, the Kagoshima city government issued an evacuation advisory for areas near the mountain, affecting 77 residents, all of whom left the areas by evening.
Many earthquakes originating from the volcano have been recorded since 7am Saturday and an increase in crustal movement was also observed, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, adding those are signs indicating magma has risen to near the volcanic vent.
The agency warned of the possibility of an eruption emitting large amounts of ash and pyroclastic flows within 3 km from Sakurajima’s Showa vent and the Minamidake summit.
“It would be no surprise if it were to erupt at any moment,” an agency official said.
The meteorological agency believes an eruption of similar magnitude to one in 1986 may occur. Six people were injured by the 1986 eruption which emitted large amounts of volcanic ash that fell on residential areas up to 3km away.
But the agency has not observed signs indicating a surge of magma equivalent to an eruption in 1914, in which 58 people died or went missing. Sakurajima was an island until the 1914 eruption, which emitted so much material as to join the volcano to Kyushu. 
Netzfrau Doro Schreier
