TOKYO, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The number of people who got stranded on mountains in Japan hit a record high of 3,568 in 2023, police data showed Thursday.
The figure, up 62 from the previous year, marked the highest level since the statistics began in 1961. Of the total, 335 people died or remain missing and 1,400 were injured, according to the National Police Agency data.
Of those stranded, climbers aged 60 or older accounted for 49 percent. Those in their 70s formed the largest group with 790 people, followed by those in their 60s with 706, data showed.
The number of foreign hikers needing help accounted for 145, the highest since records on foreign tourist incidents began being tracked in 2018. A total of 11 foreign climbers died or went missing.
The latest data showed a notable rise in incidents in popular hiking areas and locations that are easily accessible from metropolitan areas.
The number of people who got stranded on Mt. Fuji went up 90 percent from the average of the past five years, while those on Mt. Takao, a popular walking destination on the outskirts of Tokyo, increased 68 percent from the same period. ■
