More than 30 people were presumed dead on Sunday near the peak of a Japanese volcano, Mount Ontake, that erupted unexpectedly a day earlier while it was packed with hikers out to admire autumn foliage, sending a huge cloud of ash and rock tumbling down its slopes.
Japan Rescue Search for Victims of Mount Ontake Volcano Eruption
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Plumes of smoke and ash billow from Mount Ontake in central Japan, Sept. 28, 2014.
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Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) soldiers and firefighters conduct rescue operations at mountain lodges, covered with volcanic ash as volcanic smoke rises near the peak of Mount Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures, Sept. 28, 2014.
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A hiker is lifted by a rescue helicopter of Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) during a rescue operation at Mount Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures, central Japan, Sept. 28, 2014.
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Plumes of smoke billow near a cabin on Mount Ontake in central Japan, one day after it erupted, spewing large white plumes of gas and ash high into the sky and blanketing the surrounding area in ash, Sept. 28, 2014.