Japan’s largest active volcano has been put on high alert after it erupted early on Saturday morning sending ash plumes 7 miles away into the sky.

Mount Aso, located on Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, was being monitored by Japan’s Meteorological Agency has warned people to stay away from the mountain due to the harmful effects of gas, volcanic ash and the threat of loose and falling rocks and have put the danger at a level 3 – the highest being level 5.

Despite being an active volcano its surrounding vicinity is a popular hiking spot but luckily no one was injured when the volcano erupted. No damage was reported in neighboring towns but buildings and vehicles were covered in a thick layer of ash.

The Meteorological Agency are warning that there is a possibility that the volcano could erupt again and warns that the mountain is presently unstable. As a result nearby cities and villages including the city of Aso, located around six miles north of the volcano, were operating evacuation shelters as precaution to any further eruptions. While some windows were reportedly broken by flying volcanic rock according to a report in The Independent.

The apprehension comes after the unexpected eruption of Mount Ontake in 2014 which killed 63 people as a result Japanese researchers are conducting the best ways to prepare for sudden eruptions to lessen the amount of casualties and destruction – Japan sits on the area dubbed the Ring of Fire where the vast amount of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.