TOKYO - The death toll from a sudden volcanic eruption in
Japan hit 48 on Wednesday as rescuers discovered 12 new bodies in so-far
unexplored areas of the ash-covered peak.
The figure makes the eruption of Mount Ontake, which was
packed with hikers when it burst angrily to life on Saturday lunchtime, the
worst volcanic disaster in Japan for almost 90 years.
Up until Sunday 36 bodies had been found, but many of these
remained on the ruptured mountain as toxic gas and the risk of further
eruptions forced emergency workers to suspend operations.
Up until Sunday 36 bodies had been found, but many of these
remained on the ruptured mountain as toxic gas and the risk of further
eruptions forced emergency workers to suspend operations.
The grim news of more deaths came after media reports
earlier suggested as many as 20 people remained unaccounted for, with an area
of the volcano still spewing steam and gas.
Some of the around 1,000 troops, police and firefighters
combing the volcano succeeded in bringing down 14 more of the bodies that were
discovered on Sunday, with another 10 still there.
An official at Nagano Prefecture’s crisis management office
said helicopters had been used to ferry the dead from the mountain, whose
pockmarked lunarscape bears witness to the huge volume of ask and rocks flung
from the volcano.
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