Want China Times
Date: 2015-09-15
By: CNA and Staff Reporter
Taiwanese tourists traveling Japan’s southwestern main island of Kyushu were declared
safe after Mount Aso, the country’s biggest active volcano, erupted again on Monday, according to Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau.
The bureau said it contacted several local travel agencies and found out that their tour groups in Kyushu had no choice but to opt against trips to the volcano, one of the most popular scenic spots and hiking areas on the island.
Though the actual rim of the volcano has been closed to visitors over the past six months, nearby areas were still open before the eruption, the bureau said.
Japanese authorities expanded the controlled area to a radius of 1 kilometer from the peak after the eruption occurred, and tour groups originally intending to take the scenic ropeway to go near the volcano had to change their schedules.
Lion Travel said the company had 78 tourists in three tour groups traveling in the affected area, and two of them had the volcano on their itineraries Monday. [FULL STORY]