Japanese authorities have released a harrowing AI-generated video showing what an eruption of Mount Fuji might look like.
The sacred mountain, an active volcano that sits just 60 miles southwest of Japan‘s densely populated capital city of Tokyo, normally erupts every 210 years.
But it has been dormant for over three centuries.
The video shows an enormous grey plume of ash and smoke towering in the sky above Tokyo, spreading a dark, vast cloud over the city.
It cuts to scenes of the capital buried under a thick layer of ash as a voiceover warns: ‘The moment may arrive without any warning.
‘Since we do not know when Mount Fuji will erupt and blanket us with volcanic ash, to protect ourselves and our loved ones we need to arm ourselves with facts.’
The film also warns of possible health risks faced by Tokyo’s 37 million inhabitants: ‘Volcanic ash is made up of fine, jagged particles. Its unique qualities pose many hazards to health and society.’
Mt. Fuji last erupted in 1707, expelling 850million cubic metres of volcanic material over the course of 16 days.
Earlier this year, an expert panel warned that an eruption could generate up to 490million cubic metres of debris, much of which would end up in Tokyo in just over an hour.
