Ten climbers have died on two mountains in north Japan's Hokkaido since Thursday, Kyodo News reported, quoting police sources, Friday.

Among the 10 victims, the body of Atsuko Onoue, 64, from Hyogo Prefecture, was recovered on the 2,052-meter Mt. Biei, while eight others died while climbing the 2,141-meter Mt. Tomuraushi, according to local police.

Separately, another male climber was found unconscious on Mt. Tomuraushi early Friday, and later confirmed dead, the police said. He is believed to have been climbing the mountain alone.

Onoue was in a group of three female climbers in their 50s and 60s and three male mountain guides who planned to traverse the Taisetsu mountain range from Thursday to Sunday. The other five were safely rescued.

Meanwhile, the eight dead on Mt. Tomuraushi were in a group of 19 climbers. Four people were rescued by Friday morning, while the other five went down the mountain by themselves. The remaining two were still on the mountain as of 8:30 a.m., the police said.

The group of 15 climbers and four travel agents are mostly in their 50s and 60s, according to the police.

It was reported that weather conditions at Mt. Tomuraushi were unstable, with strong wind and rain, Kyodo said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2009)