Toll at 33 as Japanese Volcano Spews Lava, Stones for 2nd Day
SHIMABARA, Japan — Soldiers raced for their lives as Mt. Unzen in southern Japan billowed showers of lava, searing stones and deadly gas for the second day Tuesday, a day after a major eruption killed at least 33 people.
“We had just recovered four bodies when Unzen began spewing again,†said a spokesman for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces unit spearheading rescue work at the site of the volcano disaster.
Volcano experts, after analyzing ash and debris from activity Monday and Tuesday, said a full-scale eruption could occur any time.
Local authorities could not say how many people were missing. But they include three researchers and 16 journalists. One of the researchers was Harry Glicken, 33, formerly of UC Santa Barbara. Almost 7,000 people were evacuated from the area, 600 miles southwest of Tokyo.
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