On the final day of the climbing season at Mount Fuji, the area was disrupted by severe weather including heavy rain, strong winds, and thick fog, which preceded a landslide that buried some officials' vehicles in the parking lot. Additionally, two climbers were found unconscious on the trail.
Japan's Mount Fuji experienced severe weather on the official last day of the climbing season, with heavy rain and thick fog covering the area before a landslide occurred in a parking lot. This caused three official vehicles working on the mountain to be partially buried by soil and debris. The parking lot is located at one of the four main ascent points on Mount Fuji, which stands 3,776 meters above sea level.
Hisayuki Motohashi, a road maintenance official from Shizuoka Prefecture's local government, revealed that three vehicles were partially buried by the landslide, but no injuries were reported from the incident.
Meanwhile, Shizuoka Prefecture police were notified to assist two climbers on the same day. The first was a man believed to be in his 30s to 40s found unconscious near the summit area, while the second was a man estimated to be about 60 years old found collapsed on the climbing trail. The police did not disclose details about the condition of either climber.
Photos released by Shizuoka Prefecture’s local government and official mountain guides on the morning of 10 September showed the ascent roads and trails shrouded in thick fog and rain, significantly reducing visibility in the area.
Mount Fuji officially opens to climbers from July to September, attracting over 200,000 visitors annually during the climbing season. Each year, local police conduct dozens of rescue operations for climbers, and fatalities are reported periodically.
In recent years, communities around Mount Fuji have increased access controls to address overtourism and prevent climbers who are inadequately prepared from reaching the summit.
Authorities have also implemented a rule requiring climbers to stay overnight at mountain huts along the route to discourage rushed ascents and reduce accident risks.
The severe weather also impacted other parts of Japan; on Tuesday, hundreds of athletes participating in the Asian Games had to evacuate temporary accommodations following record-breaking heavy rain in Nagoya.
: Sourcechannelnewsasia
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