Latest: Soldier killed as volcano spews flying rocks towards skiers

Twelve people, including eight soldiers, skiing on the slopes of a volcano near a famous hot spring resort in central Japan were injured by flying rocks during a sudden eruption, officials said, with one soldier dying from his injuries.

Tue, 23 Jan, 2018 - 15:40

Update 15.40pm: Twelve people, including eight soldiers, skiing on the slopes of a volcano near a famous hot spring resort in central Japan were injured by flying rocks during a sudden eruption, officials said, with one soldier dying from his injuries.

The eruption quickly darkened the ski slope at Mount Kusatsu-Shirane with black ash, as volcanic rocks rained down on gondolas and people skiing down the slopes, sending them desperately seeking shelter at a mountaintop station.