| Submit your comments on this article |
| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| More than 30 believed dead at Japanese volcano |
| 2014-09-29 |
| [ARABNEWS] Rescue workers have found 30 or more people unconscious and believed to be dead near the peak of an erupting volcano in central Japan, local government and police said. Nagano prefecture posted on its website that about 30 people had heart and lung failure, the customary way for Japanese authorities to describe a body until police doctors can examine it. At least four of the victims were being brought down Sunday afternoon. A Nagano police official described the number as more than 30. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly. Mount Ontake in central Japan erupted shortly before noon Saturday, spewing large white plumes of gas and ash high into the sky and blanketing the surrounding area in ash. The mountain is a popular climbing destination, and at least 250 people were initially trapped on the slopes, though most made their way down by Saturday night. Before the unconscious victims were found, Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said that 45 people had been reported missing. The exact location of the bodies and their identities were not immediately known. Keita Ushimaru, an official in nearby Kiso town, said that Nagano crisis management officials had informed the town that at least four people with heart and lung failure were being brought down to the town, and that there were others in the same condition. The journey was expected to take about three hours. Rescue workers were also trying to help injured people and others who had been stranded on the mountain overnight, many taking refuge in mountain lodges. Some were unable to descend on their own, or unwilling to take the risk. Military helicopters plucked seven people off the mountainside earlier Sunday, and workers were helping others make their way down the slopes. One woman was being carried on a stretcher, and a man with a broken arm was walking down. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 First the tsunami and the reactors. Now the volcano. "Mr Godzilla, please pick up the white courtesy phone." |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2014-09-29 07:45 |