More than 30 found in 'cardiac arrest' after Japanese volcano Mount Ontake erupts
Hikersfound near summit feared dead after 3,067-metre Mount Ontake erupts without warning, spewing out ash, rocks and steam
More than 30 hikers were feared dead after being foundyesterday near the peak of a Japanese volcano that erupted without warning, spewing ash, rocks and steam.
Rescue workers battling rocketing levels of sulphurous gas found them in "cardiac arrest" near the summit of 3,067-metre Mount Ontake, which erupted around noon on Saturday, police and local officials said.
The term is usually applied before doctors can certify death. Local media put the figure at 31.
"We have confirmed that more than 30 individuals in cardiac arrest have been found near the summit," a Nagano prefecture police spokesman said without elaborating.
Rescuers, who had to call off the search mid-afternoon yesterday, were bringing down four of them, apparently without administering any immediate medical treatment, an official at the Nagano prefectural government said.
"The rescue team suspended their operation because of the increasing concentration of sulphurous gas in the area," the official said.
Firefighters had separately confirmed a total 30 people with injuries, including one serious case, he said, adding that the number could still change.
A suffocating blanket of ash up to 20 centimetres deep covered a large area of the volcano, and had forced up to 150 to seek refuge in mountaintop shelters at one point.
Local officials believe 45 to 49 people sheltered overnight in cabins on the mountain, although details remained unclear.
The mountain is popular among walkers, particularly in late September when the turning of the autumn leaves makes for dramatic scenery. Hikers who descended from the volcano reported scenes of horror, with stones raining down and hot ashes filling the air.
A group of 25 hikers - including a schoolchild - who spent the night in a cabin were able to climb down yesterday to reach the start of a trail.
A middle-aged man who was among the group said they had been near the summit.
"People panicked," he told NHK, his face smudged with ashes. "Honestly, I am glad I was able to come back alive."
Emergency helicopters rescued seven people, including two who were able to wave at a Self Defence Force helicopter.
Some 230 hikers were able to make it to safety soon after the eruption. Many were spattered with the mud that had been spewed out by some parts of the mountain.
Among the injuries were those caused by flying rocks and internal burns from inhaling volcanic fumes, the said.
The meteorological agency forecast further eruptions, warning that volcanic debris may settle within four kilometresof the peak.
The last significant eruption of Mount Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures in the centre of the country, was in 1979 when it expelled more than 200,000 tonnes of ash, according to local media.
