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Searchers found two more bodies on Mt Ontake on Saturday, two weeks after it erupted without warning, showering climbers with rocks and ash. The death toll now stands at 56 with eight still missing.
Officials said 1,160 workers took part in Saturday's search, the highest number since the eruption of the 3,067-meter mountain that straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures.
Workers used metal rods to probe the ash for bodies that might be buried, NTV reported. In some areas, workers found themselves knee deep in ash.
The recovery operation is being carried out by police, firefighters and Self-Defense Force members. Officials said the operation has started taking its toll on some rescuers who have suffered altitude sickness.
The search may have to be suspended again on Sunday and Monday as the season's 19th typhoon approaches the area.
© Japan Today
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Larry Woodworth
Exhausting work with small chances of locating someone. Kudos to the men and women on the volcano searching for the missing. May they beat the odds and recover all the victims.