Deadly volcano spewing fumes so toxic tourists have to wear gas masks
A deadly volcano has been spewing toxic fumes so deadly that residents and tourists legally have to have a gas mask on them at all times, out of a grave fear for their safety.
The deadly Mount Oyama, in Japan, regularly emits poisonous sulfuric gas with very little warning – the last major eruption even required a mass evacuation.
This hasn’t deterred the 3,000 people who live on the Japanese island of Miyake-jima. Nor has it put off the many keen tourists looking to sample the exquisite natural scenery on offer.
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Quite disturbingly, an ominous alarm is sounded every time Mount Oyama discharges sulfur dioxide into the sky – this triggers everyone to whip on their masks to avoid the horrendous consequences of the newly toxic air.
Known lovingly by locals as Gas Mask Island, they are incredibly proud of their home. It welcomes many tourists who love to hike to the top of the volcano as well as seeing the rest of the natural scenery, such as the stunning dolphins which swim just beyond the island’s incredible black sand beaches which owe their existence to the volcano.
Snorkelling and scuba diving is a huge pull for tourists here, especially after a long day trekking up the volcano. Tired tourists can also relax their muscles in the various volcanic hot springs. Flora and fauna is rife on the island – you can expect to see Japanese wood pigeons, Japanese murrelets and Ijima’s leaf warblers, among other birds.
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The island is quite hard to access though, due to it being well south of the mainland. An overnight ferry departs from Tokyo at 10.30pm and arrives at Miyake-jima at 5am. There are also flights which take 50 minutes from the capital.
Despite this, flights were suspended for eight years after a serious eruption in 2000 which meant that sulfuric gas levels were so high that it made flying unsafe.
The volcano has erupted multiple times in the past, including in 1983, 1962, and 1940 in which eleven people were killed by lava flows.
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