Weather hits recovery of bodies from erupting Japanese volcano

The search for bodies from an erupting volcano in central Japan was suspended Thursday as weather conditions deteriorated, CNN reported.

Officials are concerned that heavy rainfall could increase the threat of an avalanche of accumulated ash on Mount Ontake.

As of Thursday morning, 47 bodies had been recovered from the mountain, with 42 people identified so far, according to Nagano prefectural police.

Ontake unleashed a huge cloud of ash late Saturday morning that billowed down the mountainside and engulfed hikers in its path. Witnesses described hearing a sound like thunder when the eruption began.

Authorities estimated there were 200 to 250 hikers in the area at the time of the eruption. Most of them were reported to have managed to make the long trek down the mountain.

But some people remained trapped in several lodges on Ontake, and others were missing altogether, local authorities said.