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This is the dramatic moment the Sakurajima volcano erupted in Japan today, sending an 11,500ft ash plume into the sky. Footage shows the volcano releasing a towering ash column over Kagoshima Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu on May 8.

Authorities confirmed the blast occurred at 4:15 pm local time from the summit crater of Minamidake. The eruption triggered a volcanic ash advisory issued by the Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), with ash drifting towards the southeast.

Sakurajima is one of Japan's most active volcanoes, with a history of frequent eruptions. Originally an island, it became a peninsula after a significant eruption in 1914. Japan lies inside the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' where the majority of Earth's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes happen.