Japan's volcano eruption: 30 hikers feared dead
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 28, 2014
At least 30 lifeless hikers have been found near the peak of Mount Ontake after it erupted on Saturday, BBC reported.
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Volcanic smoke rises from Mount Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures, central Japan, Sept. 27, 2014. [Photo/Agencies] |
Police said that the hikers are in a state of "cardiac arrest," according to CNN.
Mount Ontake, straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures in central Japan, erupted suddenly shortly before noon on Saturday, spewing ash and rocks.
About 250 hikers were trapped on the mountain, but most have got down safely, BBC said.
Japanese Defense Minister Akinori Eto said the ministry has dispatched about 70 members of the Self-Defense Forces and four rescue vehicles to the disaster site.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) upgraded its 5-stage volcanic alert level to 3, which urges people not to approach the mountain and is forecasting further eruptions that may affect nearby residents and is warning of large volcanic cinders falling within a four km radius of the crater.
The volcano's last eruption was in 1979 when it expelled over 200,000 tons of ash. It also went through a minor eruption in 1991 and caused multiple volcanic earthquakes in 2007, according to media reports.
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