TOKYO, October 2 (RIA Novosti) - At least 24 victims of the Mount Ontake eruption in central Japan are missing, Kyodo news agency reported Thursday.
The death toll from the volcanic eruption that started on Saturday has already reached 47, with 70 people having injuries, Kyodo reported.
Early Thursday morning more than 1,000 workers of police and fire protection service resumed the search and rescue operation, however, the operation was suspended because of the rain that may cause avalanches.
The 3,067-meter (10,062-feet) high Mount Ontake erupted at about 11:53 a.m. local time (02:53 GMT) on Saturday.
The eruption of Mount Ontake is considered to be the worst postwar volcanic disaster. The exact number of casualties has not been determined yet, given the unknown number of climbers missing.
By now, volcanic activity has reduced, but has not stopped yet, which complicates work of the rescue team.
