Mount Shindake, a volcano located on the Japanese island of Kuchinoerabu, has erupted.

As reported by the BBC, black clouds of volcanic ash rose 5.6 miles into the sky, leading to the evacuation of most of the island’s 137 residents who left via boat.

Flowing lava and super-heated gas poured down from the mountain and went into the sea, resulting in the main harbor turning gray and the sea-water becoming murky.

In 2014 Shindake erupted for the first time since 1980. Back in 1933, the volcano’s eruption led to the deaths of several people.

"There was a really loud 'dong' sound of an explosion, and then black smoke rose, darkening the sky," said Nobuaki Hayashi, a community leader who spoke of the eruption to national broadcaster NHK.

“It smelled of sulphur."

As noted in the Guardian, Hayashi said that several people were yet to be accounted for. Describing the scene Hayashi remarked, “The skies here are blue, but smoke is still rising to the west.”

Although Japanese officials have stated that there is currently no threat to human life, the fire and disaster management agency has raised the alert level for the island to its highest possible level, at five.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe went on television to inform the public that he had organized "all functions of government" to ensure the safety of the islanders.

Japan does sit at the junction of several tectonic plates. Because of this it is considered to be one of the world's most seismically active countries.

Mount Ontake in central Japan erupted last year, and dozens of hikers were killed due to the unexpected blast.

Some analyst have linked Japan's surge in recent volcanic activity to an earthquake that struck on March 11, 2011.