A column of smoke raises from Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabu island, southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. The volcano is erupting on the small island, and authorities have ordered residents to evacuate the island. Mount Shindake erupted in spectacular fashion Friday, spewing towering black-gray clouds into the sky. No injuries have been reported, although the Japan Meteorological Agency reports that pyroclastic flows from the volcano have reached the shore to the northwest. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
TOKYO - A volcano erupted in spectacular fashion on a small island in southern Japan on Friday, spewing out rocks and sending black clouds of ash 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) into the sky. Authorities told people on the island to evacuate.
One person was reported to have suffered minor burns from falling debris after Mount Shindake erupted, sending dense flows of rock and hot gases seaward, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported.
The injured man, another person who was feeling unwell and a third person were airlifted to nearby Yakushima island, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
Another 133 people were evacuated on a coast guard vessel, a ferry and fishing boats.
"There was a really loud, 'dong' sound of an explosion, and then black smoke rose, darkening the sky," Nobuaki Hayashi, a local village chief, told public broadcaster NHK as he and dozens of others gathered at a shelter before leaving the island.
The agency raised the alert level for Kuchinoerabu island, where Shindake is located, to five, the highest on its scale. Shindake also erupted in August last year for the first time since 1980.
A military helicopter was sent to survey the island and assess damage.
Kuchinoerabu is 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Japan's main southern island of Kyushu. A heavily forested, mountainous island bordered mostly by rocky cliffs, it is a national park supported mainly by tourism and fishing.
About two hours after the eruption, NHK showed the mountain shrouded in light gray ash as the clouds from the eruption cleared.
It has little effect on air travel, with no cancellations or major route changes reported.
Kuchinoerabu usually can be reached only by a once-a-day ferry from Yakushima, 12 kilometers (about 7 miles) to the east, which has an airport and a population of more than 13,000 people.
Japan, which sits along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," has dozens of volcanoes and is frequently jolted by earthquakes.
A column of smoke raises from Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabu island, southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. The volcano erupted in spectacular fashion on the small island on Friday, spewing out rocks and sending black clouds of ash 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) into the sky. Authorities told people on the island to evacuate. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
A ferry carries evacuees from Kuchinoerabu island, background, southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. Mount Shindake erupted in spectacular fashion on the small island on Friday, spewing out rocks and sending black clouds of ash 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) into the sky. Authorities told people on the island to evacuate. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
Evacuees gather at a shelter after Mount Shindake erupted on Kuchinoerabu island, southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. The volcano erupted in spectacular fashion on the small island on Friday, spewing out rocks and sending black clouds of ash 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) into the sky. Authorities told people on the island to evacuate. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
A column of white smoke rises from Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabu island, southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. The volcano erupted in spectacular fashion on the small island on Friday, spewing out rocks and sending black clouds of ash 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) into the sky. Authorities told people on the island to evacuate. The mountain slope covered by gray color is believed to be marked by pyroclastic flows of rock and hot gases. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
A column of white smoke rises from Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabu island, southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. The volcano erupted in spectacular fashion on the small island on Friday, spewing out rocks and sending black clouds of ash 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) into the sky. Authorities told people on the island to evacuate. The mountain slope covered by gray color is believed to be marked by pyroclastic flows of rock and hot gases. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
In this image taken from a surveillance camera observed from Motomura Nishi on Kuchinoerabu island, a column of black smoke rises from Mount Shindake, on the island, southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. The volcano erupted on the small island about 10 a.m. local time Friday, spewing black clouds of ash and rock towering into the sky and prompting authorities to tell residents to evacuate the island. (Japan Meteorological Agency via AP) CREDIT MANDATORY
A column of white smoke rises from the crater of Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabu island, southern Japan Friday, May 29, 2015. The volcano erupted in spectacular fashion on the small island on Friday, spewing out rocks and sending black clouds of ash 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) into the sky. Authorities told people on the island to evacuate. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
Buildings and vehicles are covered with volcanic ash after Mount Shindake erupted on Kuchinoerabu island, southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. The volcano erupted in spectacular fashion on the small island on Friday, spewing out rocks and sending black clouds of ash 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) into the sky. Authorities told people on the island to evacuate. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
In this image taken from a surveillance camera observed from Motomura Nishi on Kuchinoerabu island, a column of black smoke rises from Mount Shindake on the island, southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. The volcano erupted on the small island about 10 a.m. local time Friday, spewing black clouds of ash and rock towering into the sky and prompting authorities to tell residents to evacuate the island. (Japan Meteorological Agency via AP) CREDIT MANDATORY
A column of smoke raises from Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabu island, southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. The volcano is erupting on the small island, and authorities have ordered residents to evacuate the island. Mount Shindake erupted in spectacular fashion Friday, spewing towering black-gray clouds into the sky. No injuries have been reported, although the Japan Meteorological Agency reports that pyroclastic flows from the volcano have reached the shore to the northwest. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
In this image taken from a surveillance camera observed from Yakushima Nagata on Kuchinoerabu island, a column of smoke rises from Mount Shindake on the island, southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. The volcano erupted on the small island about 10 a.m. local time Friday, spewing black clouds of ash and rock towering into the sky and prompting authorities to tell residents to evacuate the island. (Japan Meteorological Agency via AP) CREDIT MANDATORY
Evacuees gather at a shelter after Mount Shindake erupted on Kuchinoerabu island, southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. The volcano erupted in spectacular fashion on the small island on Friday, spewing out rocks and sending black clouds of ash 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) into the sky. Authorities told people on the island to evacuate. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
Sadayuki Kitagawa, director of volcanology division at Japan Meteorological Agency, speaks during a news conference at its office in Tokyo after a volcano erupted on a small island in southern Japan, Friday, May 29, 2015. Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabu island erupted, spewing black clouds of ash and rock towering into the sky and prompting authorities to tell residents to evacuate the island. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announces governmental response to an eruption of a volcano in southern Japan, at his official residence in Tokyo Friday, May 29, 2015. Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabu island erupted, spewing black clouds of ash and rock towering into the sky and prompting authorities to tell residents to evacuate the island. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, center, answers a reporter's question on an eruption of a volcano in southern Japan, at prime minister's official residence in Tokyo Friday, May 29, 2015. Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabu island erupted in spectacular fashion on Friday, spewing towering black-gray clouds into the sky. Authorities ordered residents to evacuate the island. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT