- NEW: At least 30 people are found on the mountain in a state of "cardiac arrest," police say
- Rescue workers are searching for hikers who are trapped or missing, authorities say
- Mount Ontake began erupting Saturday, unleashing a cloud of ash that engulfed hikers
- More than 25 people were reported to have been injured in the eruption
Gifu, Japan (CNN) -- Police said Sunday that at least 30 people have been discovered in a state of "cardiac arrest" on a Japanese volcano that started erupting a day earlier.
The description of the people's condition means they were found without a pulse and weren't breathing but hadn't yet been declared dead by a doctor.
Rescue teams had begun searching Sunday for dozens of climbers who were caught by the sudden eruption of Mount Ontake.
The volcano in central Japan unleashed a huge cloud of ash late Saturday morning that billowed down the mountainside and engulfed hikers in its path.
The exact number of people unaccounted for was unclear, as officials were uncertain how many had already made it off the mountain. Authorities estimated there were 200 to 250 hikers in the area at the time of the eruption.
Some people remained trapped in several cottages on the mountain, and others were missing altogether, local authorities said.
Dense fumes are spewed out from several spots on the slope of Mt. Ontake as the volcano erupts in central Japan Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014.
More than 350 rescue workers -- a mix of police, firefighters and military personnel -- began climbing two separate routes up the mountain on Sunday morning, authorities in the nearby village of Otaki said.
Plumes of smoke and ash rise as over Mount Ontake in central Japan on Saturday, September 27. 
An aerial view shows the dense white plume of Mount Ontake rising high into the sky. 
Witnesses described a sound like thunder during the eruption, the first at Mount Ontake since 2007. 
Dense fumes are spewed out from several spots on the slope of Mount Ontake. 
The eruption caught several hikers by surprise. Local authorities say there were roughly 150 hikers in the area at the time. 
Climbers descend Ontake as the mountain erupts. 
Climbers flee the mountain as the eruption coats the area in a layer of ash. 
A mountain lodge is covered in ash by the eruption. 
Smoke and ash rise from the summit crater of Mount Ontake. Japan's Mount Ontake erupts
Japan's Mount Ontake erupts
Japan's Mount Ontake erupts
Japan's Mount Ontake erupts
Japan's Mount Ontake erupts
Japan's Mount Ontake erupts
Japan's Mount Ontake erupts
Japan's Mount Ontake erupts
Japan's Mount Ontake erupts
Mount Ontake erupts Alert level raised
Dense white plumes rise high in the air as Mount Ontake erupts in central Japan on Saturday, September 27. 
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Recently active volcanoes
Recently active volcanoes
Recently active volcanoes
Recently active volcanoes
Recently active volcanoes
Recently active volcanoes
Recently active volcanoes
Recently active volcanoes
Recently active volcanoes
Recently active volcanoes
Recently active volcanoes
Recently active volcanoes
Photos: Recently active volcanoes More than 25 people were reported to have been injured, 10 of them seriously, according to the government of Nagano prefecture, where the volcano is situated. Among the climbers trapped in the cottages, at least 11 were injured, officials in Otaki said.
They said they had observed 17-20 inches (40-50 centimeters) of volcanic ash covering the ground in some areas.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has raised the Volcanic Alert Level for Ontake from 1 to 3. That means the public is advised to not approach the volcano, the summit of which is at an altitude of 3,067 meters (10,060 feet).
About 250 people living near the mountain have decided to remain in their homes, police said.
The last major eruption of Mount Ontake, which is about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Tokyo, took place in 1979, according to the Global Volcanism Program at the Smithsonian Institute.
Smaller scale activity was reported in 1984, 1991 and 2007.
CNN's Will Ripley reported from Gifu, Japan, and Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong. CNN's Junko Ogura contributed to this report.
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