Tragic Deaths Linked to Toxic Gas at Japanese Hot Spring Resort

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Three resort workers near Takayu Onsen, in northeastern Japan, have died, possibly due to inhaling hazardous hydrogen sulphide gas, according to local reports. The men were discovered on February 19, 2025, in a mountainous area near Fukushima, following a maintenance check at the hot spring source. Reports indicate that accumulations of the gas, a byproduct of volcanic activity, can be dangerous in poorly ventilated spaces and even outdoors in high concentrations.

Witnesses reported that the men, aged in their 50s and 60s, were conducting routine maintenance when they disappeared. Authorities initiated a search after they failed to return, finding their bodies the following day amid heavy snow that reached depths of 146 cm. Junichi Endo, chairman of the Takayu Onsen Tourism Association, suggested that the heavy snowfall might have contributed to hazardous gas levels in the area. Experts noted that geothermal heat could cause snow to melt and form depressions, allowing hydrogen sulphide to accumulate.

Previously, in 2015, similar fatalities occurred at a hot spring resort in Akita Prefecture, highlighting ongoing safety concerns in these areas.

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