TOKYO, Sept 27 - A Japanese volcano popular with hikers erupted on Saturday, killing one woman and seriously injuring more than 30 people, officials and media said. The mountain draws walkers who come to admire the autumn colours on the trees. "It was like thunder," a woman told public broadcaster NHK of the first eruption at the volcano in seven years. "I heard boom, boom, then everything went dark." The Japan Meteorological Agency said the volcano, Mount Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures 200 km (125 miles) west of Tokyo, erupted just before midday and sent ash pouring down the mountain's south slope for more than three km (two miles). Tokyo's Haneda airport said incoming domestic flights were experiencing delays of about 40 to 50 minutes because they were forced to change routes. International flights to and from Haneda were not affected by the eruption, the airport said. NHK, citing the local fire brigade, reported that one woman had been confirmed dead. More than 30 people were seriously injured and 10 of them were unconscious, it said. According to police, more than 250 hikers at one stage had been stranded on the mountain, which is 3,067 metres (10,062 feet) high and last erupted in 2007. No nuclear power plants are located nearby. NHK said about 230 hikers had made their way down the mountain, while 41 people remained stranded and were expected to try descending the next day. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who returned from the United States on Saturday, said he had ordered the military to help in rescue efforts. "I instructed to do all we can to rescue the people affected and secure the safety of the trekkers," Abe told reporters. Nagano police sent a team of 80 to the mountain to assist the climbers, while Kiso Prefectural Hospital, near the mountain, said it had dispatched a medical emergency team. "We expect a lot of injured people so we are now getting ready for their arrival," said an official at the hospital. As of 8:30 p.m. local time, the eruption was continuing, NHK said. "It's all white outside, looks like it has snowed. There is very bad visibility and we can't see the top of the mountain," Mari Tezuka, who works at a mountain hut for trekkers, told Reuters. "All we can do now is shut up the hut and then we are planning on coming down... This is a busy season because of the changing autumn leaves. It's one of our busiest seasons."
More
Former top Vietnamese legislator, transport minister disciplined
Former State President Vo Van Thuong was also found to have committed violations
Read more
Four tourists die after suspected tainted alcohol poisoning in Laos
A young Australian woman was the latest confirmed death
22 hours agoIndian tycoon Gautam Adani charged in US over $265 million bribery scheme
Arrest warrants have been issued in the U.S. for Adani and his nephew Sagar
22 hours agoAustralian eyes $30m fine for social media flouting under-16s ban
The legislation would force social media firms to take steps to prevent those under 16 years of age from accessing platforms
22 hours agoBanana taped to a wall sells for $6.2 mn in New York
The buyer is a cryptocurrency entrepreneur
1 day agoFindings by dark energy researchers back Einstein's conception of gravity
The findings announced on Tuesday are part of a years-long study of the history of the cosmos focusing upon dark energy
1 day agoHighlights
Former top Vietnamese legislator, transport minister disciplined
Former State President Vo Van Thuong was also found to have committed violations
Latest news
Former top Vietnamese legislator, transport minister disciplined
Former State President Vo Van Thuong was also found to have committed violations
Nearly 150 sets of human remains found in downtown Hanoi
The remains were burried nearly a meter beneath an alley
ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, Deif
The unprecedented move drew a furious reaction from Netanyahu
Chimps are upping their tool game, says study
'Planet of the Apes' may have been onto something
UNESCO launches climate action event in Hanoi to mark World Children’s Day
Vietnam’s heavy exposure to climate change risks means children are disproportionately affected
Joining hands to help address endometriosis challenges in Vietnam
One in every 10 women is at risk of endometriosis during the reproductive years
Cambodia hosts solemn welcome ceremony for top Vietnamese legislator
A high-ranking Vietnamese delegation led by NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man is on a four-day official visit to Cambodia
Sweden's Northvolt files for bankruptcy, in blow to Europe's EV ambitions
Northvolt, the Swedish maker of battery cells for electric vehicles, said on Thursday it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S., dealing a blow to Europe's hopes that its most developed battery player would reduce Western car makers' reliance on Chinese rivals
Police crack down on 533 drug-related cases, arrest over 900 suspects in south-central Vietnam
Drug addicts and illegal drug users nationwide spend an estimated US$590.2 million on narcotics each year
5-year-old girl fatally bitten by family’s German shepherds in northern Vietnam
The girl was hospitalized but eventually succumbed to her injuries