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Russian climber killed by falling rock at Mt Fuji
TOKYO, Aug 26, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – A Russian national climbing Mount Fuji was
killed by a falling rock near the summit of Japan’s highest peak, police and
news reports said Monday.
Police said a woman in her 20s was fatally injured in the morning while
approaching the top of the 3,776-metre (12,388-foot) volcanic mountain.
“Rescuers and a doctor rushed to the site but she was later confirmed
dead,” a local police official told AFP.
Public broadcaster NHK and other local media identified her as a 29-year-
old Russian national living in Tokyo with a Japanese husband.
Immediate confirmation of the victim’s identification was not available.
One of the routes to the summit was temporarily closed following the
accident.
Every year hundreds of thousands of people — including many foreigners —
climb Mount Fuji, which is regarded as a holy mountain in Japan.
The official climbing season runs from the start of July to the end of
August.
Snow-capped for most of the year, the mountain’s summit is regarded as
dangerous during the off-season due to its steep slopes and constant gusts.
The conical-shaped mountain, some 100 kilometres (62 miles) west of Tokyo,
was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013.
BSS/AFP/SSS/2015 hrs