Volcanic activity, weather hit rescue work in Japan

Bad weather and volcanic activity have hampered rescue work near the Mount Ontake volcano eruption site in Japan Tuesday.

Five more bodies were recovered Monday bringing the toll to 36 in the eruption, which occurred Sep 27, Kyodo News reported.

An official of the Japan Meteorological Agency warned that volcanic activity is intensifying.

"Volcanic tremors are becoming bigger since early morning and its intensity is almost the same as that observed Saturday night," the official said.

Ontake was thought to be inactive until October 1979, when it underwent a series of explosive eruptions, spewing over 200,000 tonnes of ash.