The group, consisting of six women mostly in their 50s and 60s from Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures, was led by 48-year-old male guide Kazuhiro Tagami from Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture.

On Oct. 7, Tagami sought help at a lodge near the peak of the mountain, prompting a rescue team to deploy. But bad weather hampered the rescue operation.

Also Oct. 9, near the peak of Mount Korenge in the Shirouma range, a man was found frozen to death, Niigata Prefectural Police said. He was identified as Keisuke Okada, 30, from Kyoto.

The Japan Times Weekly: Oct. 14, 2006
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