In preparation for an eruption of Mt. Fuji, in Yamanakako Village in Yamanashi Prefecture, a walking evacuation drill was held for the first time in the prefecture for residents who need to evacuate from lava flows accompanying the eruption.
A one-day drill simulating an eruption of Mt. Fuji was conducted for about 1,000 people in some areas where lava flows are expected to reach Yamanakako village.
This is the first such drill in the prefecture, following the new policy of evacuating on foot, in principle, to prevent delays in escaping due to traffic jams.
Before 2:00 p.m., the village officials said that Mt. Fuji's eruption alert level had been raised to level 5, the highest level indicating "evacuation," and the target people were instructed to walk to the evacuation center and escape using the disaster prevention radio. I called.
Evacuation shelters were set up at two locations, one at the village office and one at a nearby elementary school, and people who had evacuated on foot filled out a name list at the reception desk, and then received food supplies from the person in charge.
A man in his 80s who participated said, "It would be troublesome if someone came to the rescue, so I tried to escape by myself. I was tired, but I'm glad I was able to evacuate safely."
Hideyuki Honda, a disaster prevention specialist at Yamanakako Village General Affairs Division, said, "We conducted training to raise awareness of walking to evacuate, but we would like to continue efforts to spread awareness among villagers."