Fear of Volcano Erupting Prompts Evacuations

Seismic activity increased today at a snow-capped volcano in northern Japan as authorities warned that an eruption could occur at any time. On Wednesday, a magnitude 4.2 quake--the most intense of the nearly 3,000 tremors recorded in the area over the last three days--jolted 2,416-foot Mt. Usu. About 9,300 people from Date, Sobetsu and Abuta--hot-spring resorts with a combined population of 51,300--were evacuated as tremors shook the mountain, an active volcano on the island of Hokkaido, about 475 miles north of Tokyo. Mt. Usu last erupted in 1978.