Story highlights A nearby village task force reports 16-20 inches of ash on the ground

Local authorities say there were about 150 hikers in the area when Ontake erupted

The Volcanic Alert Level has been raised from 1 to 3

The volcano last erupted in 2007

Mount Ontake erupted late Saturday morning, sending a plume of smoke and ash into the sky, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported.

At least three people have been injured, said a task force in Otaki village, just south of the volcano. They have observed 17-20 inches (40-50 centimeters) of volcanic ash covering the ground.

Local authorities said there were roughly 150 hikers in the area at the time, according to the agency, which raised the Volcanic Alert Level for Ontake from 1 to 3.

Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Rescuers walk in line after a search operation near the peak of Japan's Mount Ontake on Wednesday, October 1. Efforts to recover bodies from the erupting volcano have resumed after search teams had been hampered by gas and hot ash shooting into the air. At least 47 people were killed when the volcano erupted over the weekend. Hide Caption 1 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Rescue workers board a military helicopter heading to the top of Mount Ontake on October 1. Hide Caption 2 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – A military helicopter leaves a temporary landing site for a rescue mission on Monday, September 29. Witnesses described hearing a sound like thunder as the volcano began to erupt two days earlier. Hide Caption 3 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Firefighters and members of Japan's military conduct a rescue operation on an ash-covered hillside near the peak of Mount Ontake on Sunday, September 28. Hide Caption 4 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Plumes of smoke and ash billow from Mount Ontake as it continues to erupt on September 28. Hide Caption 5 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Climbers descend Mount Ontake on September 28. Hide Caption 6 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – A helicopter lifts a survivor from the ash-covered top of Mount Ontake. Hide Caption 7 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Firefighters and members of Japan's military conduct a rescue operation at a mountain lodge near the peak of Mount Ontake. Hide Caption 8 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Rescuers assist an injured person on September 28. Hide Caption 9 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Rescuers walk through ash covered-structures while searching for victims on September 28. Hide Caption 10 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Plumes of smoke and ash rise over Mount Ontake on Saturday, September 27. Hide Caption 11 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – An aerial view shows the dense white plume of Mount Ontake rising high into the sky. Hide Caption 12 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Dense fumes are spewed out from several spots on the slope of Mount Ontake. Hide Caption 13 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Climbers flee the mountain as the eruption coats the area in a layer of ash. Hide Caption 14 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Local authorities say there were roughly 250 hikers in the area at the time of the eruption. Hide Caption 15 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – A mountain lodge is covered in ash. Hide Caption 16 of 17 Photos: Photos: Mount Ontake erupts Japan's Mount Ontake erupts – Smoke and ash rise from the summit crater of Mount Ontake. Hide Caption 17 of 17

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The public is advised to not approach the volcano, and police and firefighters have deployed to help hikers near the summit.

About 250 people living near the mountain have decided to remain in their homes, police said.

The volcano last erupted in 2007.

It is located about 155 miles (250 kilometers) west of Tokyo.