2014 Mount Ontake eruption
| 2014 Mount Ontake eruption | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Volcano | Mount Ontake |
| Date | September 27, 2014 |
| Location | Border of Nagano and Gifu prefectures, island of Honshū, Japan 35°53′36″N 137°28′45″E / 35.89333°N 137.47917°ECoordinates: 35°53′36″N 137°28′45″E / 35.89333°N 137.47917°E |
| VEI | 3-4 |
| Impact | 56 dead |
A volcanic eruption of Mount Ontake (御嶽山 Ontake-san?) took place on September 27, 2014, killing 57 people. Mount Ontake is a volcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu around 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Nagoya and around 200 km (120 mi) southwest of Tokyo. It was the first fatal volcanic eruption in Japan since the 1991 collapse of a lava dome at Mount Unzen, and the deadliest volcanic eruption in Japan since Torishima killed an estimated 150 people in 1902.
The volcanic eruption happened at 11:52 Japan Standard Time (UTC+9). There were no significant earthquakes that might have warned authorities in the lead up to the phreatic eruption—caused by ground water flashing to steam in a hydrothermal explosion. The mountain is a popular tourist attraction for hikers, being considered good for beginner climbers and relatively safe, and the weather was also good, so there were several hundred people on its slopes at the time. The police said that they were searching for people remaining on the mountain. By 17:00 the police reported that three people were missing and were believed to be under ash. Another person was rescued from under the volcanic ash, but remained unconscious. Six people were injured, one by flying rocks.
By 19:30, the number of people believed to remain buried in ash rose to six. Nine people had been reported to be injured, five of whom had fractured bones. Later, at least 40 people were reported to be injured, and another 32 were believed to be missing. The JSDF began carrying out helicopter searches for missing people. One woman was reported to have died from the eruption.
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