WORLD
Three more bodies found on Mt. Ontake as search resumes
It took the confirmed death toll from the eruption to 54.
The bodies were found near the summit of the 3,067-meter mountain, a source involved in the search said.
The volcano erupted with no warning shortly before noon Sept. 27. The list of official missing from the country’s worst postwar volcanic disaster fell to 12 with the latest recoveries.
Nearly all those killed were hit by rocks blown into the air by the eruption.
Search efforts have been stymied by bad weather, including Typhoon Phanfone, and hazardous gases such as hydrogen sulfide belching from the volcano’s vents.
Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures, is the nation’s second-highest volcano, topped only by Mount Fuji. It is a popular destination for hikers during the climbing season, particularly in the fall for its vivid autumn foliage.