TOKYO, October 8 (RIA Novosti) - Japanese rescue workers have uncovered another body on Mount Ontake in Japan, bringing the total death toll from the volcanic eruption to 55 with nine people still missing, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported Wednesday.
The search operation resumed for the first time in three days since the eruption of the 3,067-meter (10,062-foot) volcano, according to Kyodo. Search operations were suspended on October 5 amid forecasts of a severe typhoon, Phanfone, to hit the area.
On Tuesday, rescuers found three bodies, bringing the death toll to 54. Rescue workers are conducting search operations on foot and by helicopter on the peak of the mountain. According to The Japan News, rescuers have gradually expanded their search area away from mountain trails.
Mount Ontake, a popular trekking destination in central Japan, experienced a massive eruption on September 27, Japan's deadliest in the past 90 years. Some 1,000 firefighters and police are involved in rescue efforts.
