DHAKA: Firefighters, police and troops resumed search operations on a volcano in central Japan on Monday, after four confirmed fatalities with at least 27 other people feared dead.

More than 500 rescuers returned to Mount Ontake after the search had been called off on Sunday afternoon due to dangerous levels of poisonous gas.

‘It depends on the (volcanic) situation how far they can go,’ a crisis management official at the Nagano prefectural government said, reports The Straits Times.

Smoke was still rising from the peak early on Monday, but helicopters had begun an aerial search of the volcano, which is popular with hikers.

BDST: 1335  HRS, SEP 29, 2014