Volcano suddenly erupts on Japanese island

A volcano has erupted on a small island in southern Japan today, spewing out rocks and sending black clouds of ash nearly 6 miles (9km) into the sky.

One person was reported to have suffered minor burns from falling debris after Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabu island erupted at about 10am local time (1 am Irish time), sending dense flows of rock and hot gases towards the sea, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported.