Days of rain in Japan: Numerous missing people after landslide

In Japan, a huge landslide has buried several houses under it. Rescue workers are looking for around 20 missing people in the coastal town of Atami, where it had rained for days. Thousands of households are without electricity.

A mudslide as a result of days of heavy rainfall has torn several houses in Japan with it. Around 20 people are missing, as reported by Japanese media from the coastal town of Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo.

Two victims of the accident were found with “cardiac arrest and respiratory arrest,” as it was said. This is a common phrase in Japan before human deaths are officially confirmed.

“I heard a terrible noise”

TV pictures showed how an avalanche of mud and rubble buried several houses in Atami. “I heard a terrible noise and saw a mudslide moving down while the rescue workers asked people to evacuate,” the director of a temple told the public broadcaster NHK.

He saved himself to a higher area. When he returned, the houses and cars in front of the temple had disappeared.

More than 2,800 households in the region are without electricity. The authorities issued the highest warning level and called on around 25,000 households to get to safety. They also requested the military to help them find the missing persons.

Climate change as an amplifier

Floods and landslides are common during the rainy season in Japan. Experts believe that climate change exacerbates the phenomenon because a warmer atmosphere stores more water, which in turn leads to more intense rainfall.

The popular resort of Atami is located around 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. Due to the heavy rainfall, train traffic in the region had to be partially suspended. This also affected the Shinkansen high-speed train, which was temporarily unable to run on the route between Tokyo and Osaka.