More than 20 bodies remain near the summit of Mt. Ontake, after new tremors and venting gases force search teams to abandon their efforts early Tuesday. Officials don't yet know precisely how many climbers were trapped when the volcano erupted on Saturday, a busy day for hiking.
From Tokyo, John Matthews reports for NPR:
"Weather officials say they've detected new seismic activity around Mt. Ontake which could trigger another eruption at any moment. Police called off search efforts at 7 a.m. Tuesday local time, citing heavy concentrations of toxic volcanic gas and threat of further eruption. "Even national guard helicopters, which would usually still fly after other rescuers retreated on foot, are now being grounded. "Authorities are continuing to warn local residents of falling debris and fast-moving gas clouds in a two-and-a-half mile radius of the several newly-formed craters. Some 800 rescuers await a decision on whether to resume again tomorrow, although the chance of finding survivors is already slim."
As we've reported, more than 200 people made it safely down the mountain after Saturday's sudden and powerful eruption sent rocks and a huge cloud of ash down the mountainside. Before Saturday, the last large eruption at Mt. Ontake, a popular autumn hiking destination, was in 1979.
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