Wednesday, October 1, 2014

More bodies found on Mount Ontake with the death toll from the eruption at the deadly Japanese volcano now standing at 48

Mail Online

  • Nagano police said the death toll from Saturday's surprise eruption at Mount Ontake now stands at 48 
  • It comes after the search for victims of the volcano was called off for a second day amid fears of another explosion
  • Hundreds of rescuers from Japanese military had been preparing to scale Mount Ontake by foot and helicopter
  • Scientists believe tremors suggest peak could spew out more rock or could even host another steam explosion
  • Ash and stones continue to rain down days after Mount Ontake erupted without warning, killing dozens 

More bodies have been found near the ash-covered summit of a Japanese volcano as searches resumed amid concern of toxic gas and another eruption.
Nagano police said the death toll from Saturday's surprise eruption at Mount Ontake now stands at 48.
Local officials said most bodies were found around the summit, where many climbers were resting or having lunch when the eruption happened.
The Ground Self-Defence Forces helicopters carried more than a dozen bodies to the foot of the mountain today.
Scores of relatives and friends of those who are feared missing on the mountain were waiting for news in a municipal hall in the nearby town of Kiso.
The recovery has been hampered by high levels of toxic gas and ash piled hip-high in places on the still-smoking mountain. In addition to those who were killed, at least 69 people were injured, 30 of them seriously.

Nagano police said the death toll from Saturday's surprise eruption now stands at 48 with local officials saying that most bodies were found around the summit
Nagano police said the death toll from Saturday's surprise eruption now stands at 48 with local officials saying that most bodies were found around the summit
Nagano police said the death toll from Saturday's surprise eruption now stands at 48 with local officials saying that most bodies were found around the summit
Seven more bodies have been found by rescuers combing the peak of Mount Ontake in Japan after it erupted without warning at the weekend
Seven more bodies have been found by rescuers combing the peak of Mount Ontake in Japan after it erupted without warning at the weekend
The seven bodies are in addition to 36 already known to have died when Mount Ontake burst angrily to life during the busy hiking season
The seven bodies are in addition to 36 already known to have died when Mount Ontake burst angrily to life during the busy hiking season
Blast: Hundreds of military searchers had been preparing to enter Mount Ontake by foot and helicopter to resume recovery of at least 24 people caught in a deadly rain of ash and stone after the peak erupted without warning on Saturday when it was crowded with hikers, including children  
Blast: Hundreds of military searchers had been preparing to enter Mount Ontake by foot and helicopter to resume recovery of at least 24 people caught in a deadly rain of ash and stone after the peak erupted without warning on Saturday when it was crowded with hikers, including children  
Difficult: Twelve bodies have been recovered from the 10,062 feet peak but at least 36 are feared to have died, with recovery hampered by high levels of toxic gas and ash piled hip-high in places on the still-smoking mountain
Difficult: Twelve bodies have been recovered from the 10,062 feet peak but at least 36 are feared to have died, with recovery hampered by high levels of toxic gas and ash piled hip-high in places on the still-smoking mountain
Japanese self-defense Force soldiers and firefighters conduct rescue operations at mountain lodges, covered with volcanic ash as volcanic smoke rises near the peak of Mount Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures in central Japan
Japanese self-defense Force soldiers and firefighters conduct rescue operations at mountain lodges, covered with volcanic ash as volcanic smoke rises near the peak of Mount Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures in central Japan
Coming down: Search and recovery efforts for at least two dozen victims of Japan's worst volcanic eruption in decades were called off this morning due to worries about rising volcanic activity, including the chance of another steam explosion
Coming down: Search and recovery efforts for at least two dozen victims of Japan's worst volcanic eruption in decades were called off this morning due to worries about rising volcanic activity, including the chance of another steam explosion
Discussions: Members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force talk in front of an UH-60 helicopter in Otaki, Nagano Prefecture in the centre of the country today. Increased seismic activity raised concern about the possibility of another eruption at a Japanese volcano this morning
Discussions: Members of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force talk in front of an UH-60 helicopter in Otaki, Nagano Prefecture in the centre of the country today. Increased seismic activity raised concern about the possibility of another eruption at a Japanese volcano this morning

Thousands of troops, police and firefighters combing the volcano area had succeeded on Sunday in bringing down 11 of the bodies caught in the deadly rain of ash and stone after the peak erupted without warning.
'I just want to know something soon,' Kiyokazu Tokoro told Japanese television. His 26-year-old son was on the mountain with his girlfriend and has yet to be found.
Increasingly strong volcanic tremors on Tuesday raised fears that the peak could spew out more rock or even be heading towards another steam explosion, an official at Japan's Meteorological Agency, which monitors volcanoes, told Reuters.
'The strength of the tremors increased last night, diminished and then rose again early this morning. There's the chance things could get worse, so caution is needed,' said Yasuhide Hasegawa, at the agency's Volcano Division - adding the chance of an explosion like Saturday's could not be ruled out.
Rescue workers board a defense force helicopter heading for the top of Mount Ontake during a search operation on Wednesday in a bid to track down those who are missing
Rescue workers board a defense force helicopter heading for the top of Mount Ontake during a search operation on Wednesday in a bid to track down those who are missing
A fireman walked by a mountain lodge covered by ash and damaged by volcanic rocks during rescue operations for missing hikers trapped in the summit area of the Mount Ontake on Sunday
A fireman walked by a mountain lodge covered by ash and damaged by volcanic rocks during rescue operations for missing hikers trapped in the summit area of the Mount Ontake on Sunday
Various Japanese firefighters helped comb the area near the summit of Mount Ontake as plumes of volcanic gases and ash rose
Various Japanese firefighters helped comb the area near the summit of Mount Ontake as plumes of volcanic gases and ash rose

'This points to possibly increasing pressure due to steam inside the volcano, and if it exploded rocks could be thrown around, endangering rescuers,' he added.
The weekend explosion may have propelled rocks so violently they could have reached the speed of an airplane, said Kazuaki Ito, a volcanologist who surveyed Ontake after it erupted in 1979, its first eruption in recorded history.
'It is hard to know how the victims died. They may have been struck by rocks or inhaled ash,' he told NTV.
Most of the victims appear to have been found near a shrine at the narrow, rocky top of the peak, Japanese media said. They may include 11-year-old Akari Nagayama, who reached the summit earlier than the rest of a group that included her mother.
Japan is one of the world's most seismically active nations. In 1991, 43 people died in a pyroclastic flow, a superheated current of gas and rock, at Mount Unzen in the southwest.
Danger: Volcanic smoke rise from Mount Ontake today. Increasingly strong volcanic tremors this morning raised fears that the peak could spew out more rock or even be heading towards another steam explosion
Danger: Volcanic smoke rise from Mount Ontake today. Increasingly strong volcanic tremors this morning raised fears that the peak could spew out more rock or even be heading towards another steam explosion
Not going anywhere: Members of Nagano prefectural police rescue team gather in front of Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force's helicopter in Otaki. Their plans to carry out searches for missing victims were abandoned today amid safety fears
Not going anywhere: Members of Nagano prefectural police rescue team gather in front of Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force's helicopter in Otaki. Their plans to carry out searches for missing victims were abandoned today amid safety fears
Firefighters and Japan Self-Defense Force soldiers are seen climbing Mount Ontake to look for at two dozen people who remain missing  
Firefighters and Japan Self-Defense Force soldiers are seen climbing Mount Ontake to look for at two dozen people who remain missing  
Fear: Japan is one of the world's most seismically active nations. In 1991, 43 people died in a pyroclastic flow, a superheated current of gas and rock, at Mount Unzen
Fear: Japan is one of the world's most seismically active nations. In 1991, 43 people died in a pyroclastic flow, a superheated current of gas and rock, at Mount Unzen

Ontake, Japan's second-highest active volcano, last had a minor eruption seven years ago. Researchers say predicting a steam-driven explosion is especially difficult - and even harder with limited information about a peak's past volcanic activity.
Japan monitors 47 of its 110 active volcanoes around the clock, but the research budget has always been less than for earthquakes and critics say the equipment is insufficient.
Over the last 10 years, volcano research in government institutions has received an average 1.4 billion yen annually, compared to 7.6 billion yen for earthquake studies, Education Ministry data shows.
'Maintenance of monitoring devices has been delayed, and the equipment is getting old,' Yasuo Ogawa, at the Tokyo Institute of Technology's Volcanic Fluid Research Centre, told Reuters.
Hasegawa, at the Japan Meterological Agency, said he was not aware of budget changes and technology now allows real-time observations from afar. Surveillance was extended in 2009.
Ogawa disagrees. 'I don't think the network is adequate and there aren't enough people,' he said. 'Hopefully, everybody can use this as an opportunity to rethink things.'
Yesterday a group of terrified hikers were forced to seek shelter in a small cabin after a Japanese volcano erupted without warning, resulting in the death of at least 36 people.
The petrified hikers, who can be seen huddling in their partially submerged sanctuary, were lucky to escape with their lives after Mount Ontake erupted suddenly on Saturday, raining furnace-hot ash and stones on hundreds of weekend visitors.
At least 36 people are known to have died – some buried alive. And rescuers fear they have yet to find the remains of many more who were smothered by rolling clouds of gases, cut down by rocks that struck with the force of bullets or choked by toxic fumes. 
Hikers still coated in deadly ash seek shelter in the cabin on the mountainside following the fresh eruptions from Mount Ontake, approximately 125 miles from Tokyo
Hikers still coated in deadly ash seek shelter in the cabin on the mountainside following the fresh eruptions from Mount Ontake, approximately 125 miles from Tokyo
The hikers huddle together in the cabin in the wake of the disaster, which has so far claimed the lives of at least 36 people with more feared to be buried among rubble
The hikers huddle together in the cabin in the wake of the disaster, which has so far claimed the lives of at least 36 people with more feared to be buried among rubble
Hikers trapped on the top of volcano have taken shelter in a small mountainside cabin while fresh eruptions continue just yards away from them
Hikers trapped on the top of volcano have taken shelter in a small mountainside cabin while fresh eruptions continue just yards away from them
The mountainside cabin is partially submerged in a sea of grey as a plume of toxic ash billows from the erupting volcano
The mountainside cabin is partially submerged in a sea of grey as a plume of toxic ash billows from the erupting volcano
The bleak view from the cabin reveals a barren, inhuman landscape. Rescue workers searching for those missing were forced to abandon the hunt amid fresh eruptions
The bleak view from the cabin reveals a barren, inhuman landscape. Rescue workers searching for those missing were forced to abandon the hunt amid fresh eruptions
A photograph taken on a mobile phone thousands of feet above the volcano shows dark ash continuing to plume from Mount Ontake, Japan, this afternoon
A photograph taken on a mobile phone thousands of feet above the volcano shows dark ash continuing to plume from Mount Ontake, Japan, yesterday afternoon
Dense white plumes of gases and ash continued to spew from the summit the volcano this afternoon, forcing rescue workers to run for cover
Dense white plumes of gases and ash continued to spew from the summit the volcano this afternoon, forcing rescue workers to run for cover
Helicopters and rescue workers on the ground were able to save dozens of hikers yesterday, but further eruptions today have hampered efforts to reach those in peril
Helicopters and rescue workers on the ground were able to save dozens of hikers on Sunday, but further eruptions  yesterday hampered efforts to reach those in peril
A desperate attempt to find any survivors had to be abandoned this afternoon when the volcano spewed more gas and rocks, with rescuers deciding that even their ‘armour’ of bullet-proof vests, hard helmets, goggles and masks would not be enough to protect them
A desperate attempt to find any survivors had to be abandoned this afternoon when the volcano spewed more gas and rocks, with rescuers deciding that even their ‘armour’ of bullet-proof vests, hard helmets, goggles and masks would not be enough to protect them

Fresh eruptions from the 10,000ft volcano earlier this week forced soldiers, police and emergency teams to abandon their hunt for survivors and flee for cover for the first time.
They had to abandon the mission when the volcano spewed more gas and rocks, with rescuers deciding that even their ‘armour’ of bullet-proof vests, hard helmets, goggles and masks would not be enough to protect them. 
Calling off the mission came after rescuers advanced painstakingly up the volcano, which is located 125 miles west of Tokyo.
Amid the overpowering stench of sulphur, they searched for signs of life in lodges that had holes punched in their roofs by rocks falling hundreds of feet.
On the ground was the chilling evidence of panic in the face of nature’s onslaught – abandoned backpacks, two expensive cameras, and a single shoe.
The hikers sheltering in the cabin were able to descend after a few hours. Meanwhile, other survivors recounted harrowing stories of listening to victims dying just yards from them.
Many, according to one man who had been working on a lodge near the volcano’s peak, were buried alive by a firestorm of white-hot rocks, stones, and choking, blinding ash. 
The body count has now unofficially risen to 36, with dozens more feared missing. At least 24 bodies have been found but then left behind because of hazardous conditions at the summit of the volcano
The body count has now unofficially risen to 36, with dozens more feared missing. At least 24 bodies have been found but then left behind because of hazardous conditions at the summit of the volcano
Firefighters raise a blue sheet as the body of a hiker trapped in the mountaintop area  of Ontake is airlifted to a nearby school, where relatives of missing people wait
Firefighters raise a blue sheet as the body of a hiker trapped in the mountaintop area of Ontake is airlifted to a nearby school, where relatives of missing people wait
Dozens of hikers decided to trek down the mountain after Saturday's eruption, believing they stood a better chance of survival by climbing down than waiting for help
Dozens of hikers decided to trek down the mountain after Saturday's eruption, believing they stood a better chance of survival by climbing down than waiting for help
The slopes of the 10,000ft volcano were transformed into a ghostly grey landscape, which hikers were then forced to tackle as they trekked to the foot of the mountain
The slopes of the 10,000ft volcano were transformed into a ghostly grey landscape, which hikers were then forced to tackle as they trekked to the foot of the mountain
The slopes of Mount Ontake took on the appearance of a greyed-out snow resort, with village homes and tracks smothered by ash that was knee deep in places 
The slopes of Mount Ontake took on the appearance of a greyed-out snow resort, with village homes and tracks smothered by ash that was knee deep in places 

The unidentified man told Tokyo’s Yomiuri newspaper he had heard a boy shouting ‘It’s hot, I can’t breathe,’ before the ash clouds blotted out the sun and his cries were replaced by silence.
An elderly woman told the Asahi network that her son had phoned her just after gas, rocks and ash began spewing from the volcano.
‘He told me it erupted. He said “It’s over, I’m dying now” and then the line was cut off,’ she said.
Another survivor told of a man lying outside a hut after being hit in the back by rocks. 
‘He was saying "It hurts, it hurts,"' said a woman survivor, who recalled that after about half an hour he went silent. 
They called out, asking if there was anyone inside - anyone who might still be alive 48 hours after the roar from above that had sent everyone scrambling to get away.
Some of the bodies were found in a lodge near the summit, while others were buried in ash nearly 2ft deep. 
Rescuers say they located 24 more bodies but were unable to bring them down to the bottom of the mountain because of the hazardous conditions. 
Rescuers climbed a ridge to reach a small village on Mount Ontake this morning, finding homes, roads and even bodies covered in feet of thick ash
Rescuers climbed a ridge to reach a small village on Mount Ontake yesterday morning, finding homes, roads and even bodies covered in feet of thick ash
Beneath the layer of ash, rescue workers fear, lie the bodies of many men, women and children who were smothered by rolling clouds of furnace-hot gases
Beneath the layer of ash, rescue workers fear, lie the bodies of many men, women and children who were smothered by rolling clouds of furnace-hot gases
Ghost town: Rescue workers searched for missing villagers who lived in these mountainside huts after the eruption left dozens injured, missing or stranded
Ghost town: Rescue workers searched for missing villagers who lived in these mountainside huts after the eruption left dozens injured, missing or stranded
Rescuers called out into the lodges, asking if there was anyone inside - anyone who might still be alive 48 hours after the eruption that had sent people running
Rescuers called out into the lodges, asking if there was anyone inside - anyone who might still be alive 48 hours after the eruption that had sent people running
Firefighters and members of Japan's Ground Self Defence Forces conduct rescue operations on Mount Ontake. A blanket of ash covered nearby buildings and roads
Firefighters and members of Japan's Ground Self Defence Forces conduct rescue operations on Mount Ontake. A blanket of ash covered nearby buildings and roads
Soldiers and police officers carried the  injured from the summit of the still-spewing volcano down to the foot of the mountain, where ambulances and helicopters waited
Soldiers and police officers carried the injured from the summit of the still-spewing volcano down to the foot of the mountain, where ambulances and helicopters waited
The 3,067 metre Mount Ontake is about 120 miles west of Tokyo and is popular with hikers and adventurous tourists looking for a walking holiday 
The 3,067 metre Mount Ontake is about 120 miles west of Tokyo and is popular with hikers and adventurous tourists looking for a walking holiday 

PYROCLASTIC FLOWS: A DEADLY AVALANCHE OF GAS AND ROCKS 

This diagram shows how the pyroclastic flow works its way down the slope, reaching incredible speeds and leaving huge rock deposits in its wake
This diagram shows how the pyroclastic flow works its way down the slope, reaching incredible speeds and leaving huge rock deposits in its wake

Pyroclastic flows are one of the most destructive and deadly processes of a volcanic eruption. The flows act and look like a body of liquid but are actually composed of hot gas and rock. Formed inside the volcano by the fragmentation of magma and rocks during the eruption, they travel down the mountain slope at breakneck speeds, often incinerating everything in their path.
The flows act as a fast-moving current and appear similar to a snow avalanche when they burst from the volcano. These flows, composed of volcanic rock debris and toxic gases, are usually deadly as they can reach speeds over 100 km/h and temperatures of 1,000 degrees.
Although they are composed of gas and rock, the properties of pyroclastic flows mean they act more like a liquid. The heavier debris moves along the ground, covered by a gas plume which radiates upwards as it moves. Depending on the size of the rock debris carried within them, they can leave behind deep layers of rock fragments.
The eruption at Mount Ontake likely triggered a pyroclastic surge, although it is thought to have been relatively cold when compared to some other documented flows.
Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo, Shigeo Aramak, told NHK World the colour of the debris clouds seen in the footage of the erupting Mount Ontake showed the temperature was relatively low for a pyroclastic flow, which may mean magma was not present.
Corpses that could be salvaged  were taken to a small school in the nearby town of Kiso, where they were being examined in a gymnasium. Family members of the missing waited at a nearby municipal hall.
Helicopters landed on a cleared area to take on the injured who had been carried down the mountain on stretchers in the few workable hours before the rescue work had to be abandoned.
In what was Japan’s first fatal volcanic eruption in 23 years, 12 people were officially confirmed dead after Saturday’s blast, but the body count has now unofficially risen to 36, with dozens more believed to be still missing.
Yuji Tsuno, a veteran mountain photographer, was near the summit when Ontake erupted. After taking pictures of the initial explosion as ash and debris rained down, he quickly took refuge in a nearby hut, he told the TBS TV network.
About 20 minutes later, when the smoke partially subsided, he rushed out and began his descent. It was a gamble, but he believed it was his only chance, he said.
'I almost thought it was the end of my life,' he said.
On his way down, he spotted a man heading up. 'I told him to go down with me, but he said he had to check on his child up there. I couldn't stop him.' 
Plumes of smoke and ash billow from Mount Ontake as it continued to erupt for the third day.  Otaki village, in Japan's Nagano prefecture, was abandoned by all except for rescue workers and families of people missing, desperately waiting for news
Plumes of smoke and ash billow from Mount Ontake as it continued to erupt for the third day.  Otaki village, in Japan's Nagano prefecture, was abandoned by all except for rescue workers and families of people missing, desperately waiting for news
A survivor is carried off the volcano by a group of soldiers yesterday evening. Some survivors are unable to descend on their own while others are unwilling to risk it
A survivor is carried off the volcano by a group of soldiers yesterday evening. Some survivors are unable to descend on their own while others are unwilling to risk it
Firefighters and members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces conduct a rescue operation on Mount Ontake in central Japan
A rescue operation is underway to located seven people who remain missing following the explosion
Dozens of trapped hikers and villagers were rescued yesterday, but efforts to find more survivors were hampered by fresh eruptions yesterday
Two tanks from the Ground Self Defence Force enter Otaki village in a bid to help support the rescue operations as they continue
Two tanks from the Ground Self Defence Force enter Otaki village in a bid to help support the rescue operations as they continue
An ambulance departs from Otaki village. Saturday;s  blast spewed large white plumes of gas and ash high into the sky, blotted out the midday sun and blanketed the surrounding area in ash
An ambulance departs from Otaki village. Saturday;s  blast spewed large white plumes of gas and ash high into the sky, blotted out the midday sun and blanketed the surrounding area in ash
Smoke emanating from the volcano - as seen at dusk from a nearby village yesterday evening. Rescuers said they would try again tomorrow to head back up the mountain to look for survivors, but their eyes will remain fixed on the peak for signs of more danger
Smoke emanating from the volcano - as seen at dusk from a nearby village yesterday evening. Rescuers said they would try again tomorrow to head back up the mountain to look for survivors, but their eyes will remain fixed on the peak for signs of more danger

MUD, GAS AND ASH:THE WAYS A VOLCANIC ERUPTION CAN KILL YOU 

Although burning lava remains the image most commonly associated with the dangers of volcanoes, in reality there are a variety of ways in which you can be killed during an eruption.
1. Pyroclastic flows. The pyroclastic flows which can rocket down the mountain reach temperatures of 1,000 degrees and speeds of hundreds of kilometres per hour, incinerating everything in its path and leaving no chance of escape. 
2. Limnic eruption. An extremely rare phenomenon, limnic eruptions occur when carbon dioxide erupts from lake water at such high concentrations the surrounding human population, as well plant and animal life, is suffocated.
3. Lahars. A type of mudflow - with the consistency of wet concrete - lahars travel at breakneck speeds and are remarkably destructive. They occur when pyroclastic material comes into contact with water, such as snow or along river valleys. Lahars killed a large number of people after the Mount Pinatubo eruption of 1991 when rainwaters re-energised deposits of volcano debris.
4. Ash clouds. The BBC reports larger volcanoes are extremely powerful and can blow ash as high as the lower stratosphere, where it is then picked up and carried by convection currents. In turn, this blocks sunlight and can cool the earth's temperature. Volcanic activity such as this is thought to be responsible for the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs.

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