Volcano erupts in Japan’s Mount Ontake – at least 30 feared dead

Mount Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures about 130 miles west of Tokyo, erupted shortly before noon on Saturday and sent thick plumes of smoke and rocks into the air. Preliminary reports indicate that at least 30 people have died near the peak of the volcano in central Japan theguardian.com.
It erupted without any warning and scores of amateur climbers got trapped - a wide area was covered with thick ash and rescuers had discovered more than 30 people who were suffering from heart and lung failure.
The official confirmation that the victims are dead will be given only after doctors have examined the bodies. Nearly 250 people were near the 3,067-metre peak when the eruption occurred and most of them succeeded in making their way down the mountain to safety.
The mountain last had a major eruption in 1979 and is popular with weekend hikers, particularly in September and October when the autumn leaves are at their best. Due to this sudden eruption, flights at Tokyo’s Haneda airport were delayed because the planes had to change their routes to avoid the peak.