The death toll in the Mount Ontake eruption is the worst for Japan in 88 years.
Military rescue units reported finding more bodies buried in ash, bringing the death toll to 47. The searchers were called down from the mountain after the discovery after a discovery of poisonous gasses and fears the mountain was about to explode again.
The mountain had been covered with climbers and hikers who were looking at the fall colors of the leaves when the unexpected eruption blanketed the area with ash. Hundreds were injured in some way by the blast and also breathing issues from the ash.
Witnesses said that there was no warning at all before the mountain erupted.
The death toll is the worst since 144 people died in a 1926 eruption on the island of Hokkaido.
Japanese officials say at least 36 people are feared dead after the unexpected eruption of Mount Ontake.
Rescuers on the peak say they’ve discovered five more bodies under the grey ash that makes the mountain look like the surface of the moon. The search for victims is being suspended because of fears of toxic gases breaking through the mountain.
At least 12 people are confirmed to be dead with 63 injuries. At least 8 are missing and officials say it’s likely the missing people are dead.
The eruption of the mountain’s over 10,000-foot peak struck when hundreds of climbers were on the mountain. The mountain is a site where families would take children to see the leaves change color or to enjoy the breathtaking views.
Now, the paths on the mountain have ash as much as knee-deep.
The last major eruption of the mountain was in 1979 although there was a minor eruption seven years ago.
Japan’s Metrological Agency said they might reconsider their surveillance system for volcanoes.
While the islands of Japan are still dealing with a weakening Typhoon Neoguri, which continues to dump heavy rain across the country, they are now dealing with the fallout of a 6.8 magnitude earthquake.
A tsunami advisory was issued for the area with waves increasing up to a meter in height. Local officials say the currents in rivers and oceans have reached dangerous levels and are telling residents to stay out of the water.
The quake was centered about five miles deep and off the shore of Fukushima, the site of the catastrophic nuclear meltdown in 2011. No damage has been reported at the plant and no release of additional radiation beyond that which has been leaking for the last three years.
Most of Japan has been dealing with massive flooding from Typhoon Neoguri, which struck the island days ago with wind gusts over 155 miles per hour. Three people have been confirmed dead from the storm with hundreds injured. One of the dead was confirmed to be a 12 year boy who died when his home was buried in a mudslide.
Typhoon Neoguri slammed Japan’s southern islands, and is now on a war path to the mainland.
Although the storm will no longer be called a super typhoon by the time it reaches the mainland, residents should still expect heavy rain, wind damage, power outages, and flooding Wednesday and Thursday.
“I’m calling the heads of municipalities not to hesitate in issuing evacuation warnings and don’t be afraid of being overcautious, “ said Keiji Furuya, the state minister in charge of disaster management.
Brg. Gen. James Hecker warned residents to take serious precautions.
“During the typhoon, do not go outside…anything not tied down, even small items, could become deadly projectiles.”
Okinawa and other islands in the Ryukyu Island chain south of Japan were hit with sustained winds of over 70 mph on Tuesday when the strongest typhoon of 2014 struck.
Typhoon Neoguri shattered buildings, damaged stores, and toppled trees as it made its way through the islands.
The Japan Times reported parts of Nagasaki recorded the heaviest rainfall in 50 years with over six inches of rain falling in three hours. Landslides and flash flooding was also reported.
Orders to evacuate to safer shelter were given to 540,000 people in the Okinawa Prefecture and 107,300 people were without power Tuesday night.
Americans stationed at Kadena Air Base were also prepared for the storm. They evacuated aircraft to other bases.
On the base’s website, Birg. Gen. James Hecker gave this statement: “I can’t stress enough how dangerous this typhoon may be when it hits Okinawa. This is the most powerful typhoon forecast to hit the island in 15 years; we expect damaging winds to arrive by early Tuesday morning.”
Currently there has been only one death when a man’s boat was overtaken by high waves from the storm, according to Reuters. Local news reports 25 injuries in the Okinawa Prefecture at this time.
Typhoon Neoguri is expected to hit Mainland Japan by Wednesday night.
A new volcano that erupted from the ocean last November and created it’s own small island has now grown to the point is has completely engulfed a neighboring volcano.
Niijima Island appeared out of the ocean in November and by the end of March created a landmass about a kilometer in length. The island is now 200 feet above sea level at its tallest point and it continues to rise.
Scientists had initially said the island would disappear back into the ocean but now say it’s uncertain how large the island could grow until after the volcano stops erupting.
The island is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and located about 600 miles south of Tokyo.
Soldiers from the USS Ronald Reagan quickly jumped in to help the victims of the 2011 tsunami that devastated Japan.
The troops were simply fulfilling their long held mission of helping the poor and unfortunate throughout the world.
Now, months later, some of the troops involved in the rescue are finding themselves being diagnosed with cancers that could be connected to radiation exposure. At least 51 Navy sailors have been found to have diseases likely connected to radiation.
Two soldiers are speaking out about the situation.
Quartermaster Maurice Enis said that a few months after their deployment to the coastline a few miles from the stricken Fukushima Nuclear Plant, he found strange lumps on his body. He was diagnosed with radiation poisoning and told his illness would get worse. His fiancée, Jamie Plym, said she suffered gynecological symptoms and hemorrhaging so bad she needed to be hospitalized.
The soldiers are now suing Tokyo Electric Power Company claiming the company did not warn the Navy that the tsunami caused a nuclear meltdown and sent huge amounts of contaminated water into the sea. The troops ended up within two miles of the plant while the company ordered an evacuation of towns as far as 12 miles from the plant for safety reasons.
The soldiers say they don’t blame the Navy which acted in good faith.
The head of the devastated Fukushima nuclear power plant is warning that the 2011 meltdown should be a warning to the world to prepare for the worst.
Naomi Hirose, president of Tokyo Electric Power Company, said the triple meltdown following the earthquake and tsunami should be taken into account when countries build new nuclear power facilities.
“Try to examine all the possibilities, no matter how small they are, and don’t think any single counter-measure is foolproof,” Hirose told London’s Guardian newspaper. “Think about all different kinds of small counter-measures, not just one big solution. There’s not one single answer.”
The interview came as the British government just signed a deal with EDF Energy to build a new generation of nuclear reactors in the country.
A floating island of debris at least three times the size of Great Britain is aimed for the California coastline.
The debris, all from the 2011 tsunami in Japan, is composed of destroyed homes and businesses, cars and boats. While some pieces of debris have washed up on the California shore starting in 2012, scientists expect this giant wave of debris to hit the coastline at the same time.
In addition to the debris, the giant island is bringing potentially destructive non-native ocean life and radioactive water.
Oceanographers say that marine life non-native to the U.S. west coast usually dies as it crosses the Pacific Ocean because of most shipping routes. However, the path of the debris has kept to water temperatures that would allow some species to survive. If the marine life is able to adapt to the California coast, scientists are concerned it could be devastating to the native life.
NOAA says that so far 1,600 debris reports have been conclusively linked to the tsunami.
The U.S. Geological Survey has reported a 6.3 magnitude earthquake has struck Taiwan.
The report from the USGS says the quake struck around 7:02 p.m. local time and was centered in a remote mountain area 28 miles southwest of the city of Hualian. The quake was shallow with a depth of only 7.5 miles.
Residents in the capital city of Taipei, 95 miles from the epicenter, said that buildings swayed for more than 10 seconds.
Taiwan’s railway service immediately suspended all operations to check tracks for possible damage. There were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties but because of the remote location of the epicenter full reports could take time.
Taiwan is located on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.