KISO, Japan — Five more bodies were found near the summit of a Japanese volcano on Monday, raising the total presumed dead to 36, police said, as toxic gases and ash from the still-erupting mountain forced rescue workers to halt efforts to recover the victims.
Eight more bodies were airlifted off Mount Ontake before work on the ash-blanketed peak was called off about 1:30 p.m., said Naofumi Miyairi, a spokesman for the Nagano prefecture police.
Together with four victims brought down Sunday, 12 bodies have now been recovered, leaving 24 near the summit. Exactly how they died remains unclear, though experts say it could be from suffocating ash, falling rocks, toxic gases or some combination of them. Some of the bodies had severe contusions.
Police said the latest victims were found near a shrine at the summit, the same area where other victims were reportedly found.
Read Tuesday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.