MOSCOW, September 29 (RIA Novosti) - Japanese police officers have found five more bodies on the slopes of Mount Ontake bringing the overall death toll to 36, AFP reports citing local authorities.
Earlier, rescue workers found 32 hikers near the top of the 3,067-meter (10,062 feet) mountain in cardiac and respiratory arrest, according to NHK, Japan's national public broadcaster. On Sunday, medics confirmed that four of them were dead. “Cardiac and respiratory arrest” is the term that Japanese authorities use before doctors certify death.
The volcano, located approximately 200 km (125 miles) west of Tokyo, erupted on Saturday just before noon. More than 220 people were atop the mountain at the time. Medical establishments in Japan have received 70 requests for hospitalization.
Volcanic activity near the mountain of Ontake was first registered around Saturday afternoon and remains ongoing, NHK reports.
