SAPPORO —
Hokkaido police raided a local branch of travel agency Amuse-Travel Co as well as its head office in Tokyo, suspecting professional negligence in the deaths of eight of ten climbers who died in the mountains in central Hokkaido. Police said they are investigating if safety precautions were taken in arranging the tour, in which the eight climbers took part and lost their lives in what is believed to be one of the worst summer mountaineering accidents.
Police have also identified two remaining people among the 10 who died. One is Hisako Ichikawa, 59, from Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, who was among the eight in the tour party, while the other is lone climber Sakae Takeuchi, 64, from Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture. They are among the 10 people who died on two mountains in the Taiesetsu mountain range since Thursday. Most of them are believed to have died of hypothermia. The Mt Tomuraushi tour itinerary organized by Amuse-Travel is known to have included an extended tracking path over an extensive altitude range, which typically makes it difficult for climbers to respond to changes in weather.
No comments:
Post a Comment