Three bodies found inside crater at summit of Mount Fuji
Three bodies have been discovered in a crater at the summit of Mount Fuji, Japan's highest peak.
Japanese police said on Thursday that one body has been retrieved, while two remain on the mountain. The identities of the deceased, including their gender and age, remain unconfirmed.
Efforts to recover the two remaining bodies will resume on Friday or later, subject to weather conditions. Thursday's retrieval operations were suspended due to forecasts of heavy rainfall.
It is not yet clear whether the three individuals were climbing together, as their bodies were found several metres apart.
The climbers had ventured onto the 3,776-metre mountain before the official climbing season had commenced on the Shizuoka Prefecture side.
Japanese media footage showed a vehicle transporting one of the bodies arriving at a police station in Shizuoka Prefecture. The rescue team had been searching for a 53-year-old man who had been reported missing.
In a separate incident, Kyodo News service reported that professional climber Keita Kurakami, 38, died in hospital after being found by police whilst scaling Fuji from the Yamanashi Prefecture side.
Mount Fuji is a popular tourist destination. However, experts warn of extreme cold even in summer and stress the importance of proper gear and clothing. Climbers also risk altitude sickness if ascending too rapidly.
The mountain, with its graceful slopes and snow-capped peak, has long been an iconic symbol of Japan. Whilst up to 300,000 people climb Fuji annually, recent concerns have been raised about overcrowding due to the influx of tourists.
