Climbers Flee Erupting Volcano in Japan

Mt. Ontake erupted Saturday, spewing large white plumes high into the sky and covering surrounding areas in ash.

Dense white plumes rise high in the air as Mt. Ontake erupts in central Japan on Sept. 27. With a sound likened to thunder, the 10,000-foot mountain spewed large white plumes high into the sky, sending people fleeing, covering surrounding areas in ash and trapping more than 250 climbers. Kyodo News via AP

Sept. 27, 2014, 2:28 PM UTC / Updated Sept. 27, 2014, 5:15 PM UTC

With a sound likened to thunder, Mt. Ontake erupted Saturday, spewing large white plumes high into the sky and covering surrounding areas in ash. With more than 250 people stuck on the slopes for hours, many took refuge in mountain lodges that dot the way up.

Image: Climbers descend Mt. Ontake, which straddles Nagano and Gifu prefectures, to evacuate as the volcano erupts in central Japan — Climbers descend Mt. Ontake as the volcano erupts in central Japan on Sept. 27, 2014, in this photo taken by a climber and released by Kyodo News.KYODO / Reuters

Image: — Fleeing climbers descend Mt. Ontake as the volcano erupted in central Japan on Sept. 27.AP