2 Dead, 20 Missing After Mudslides
In Japan, huge mudslides have swept away houses near Tokyo. Local officials say 2 people have died and about 20 remain unaccounted for. Torrential rain has been lashing areas along the country's Pacific coast since early Saturday.
Video footage shows scenes of devastation in Atami City in Shizuoka Prefecture. Police say at least 10 houses have been washed away.
About 200 personnel from the Self-Defense Forces and Tokyo Metropolitan Police are joining the search and rescue operation.
Officials issued the highest level of warning to around 20,000 households in the city after the mudslides.
People there have been told to "secure safety immediately."
The local terrain is steep, and is packed with houses and some hotels.
One local said he fled to higher ground after he saw mudslides nearby. Other residents also spoke to NHK.
A resident in Atami said, "The mudslide came really close, right in front of my house. I couldn't get away, so I climbed up a ladder. I could hear it coming before I saw it."
Another resident said, "It was an unimaginable sound. I knew it was a landslide. It's been raining constantly for three days, it's been steady rather than a sudden downpour."
An NHK drone snapped video footage about 9 hours after the initial slide. It shows water still flowing with force as well as severe damage.
A man has been trying to contact his mother-in-law.
He said, "My mother-in-law lives at the top of the slope that collapsed. I heard people say she's evacuated somewhere, but I don't know where she is. I want to make sure she's safe as soon as possible."
It's the height of Japan's rainy season. Meteorological Agency officials say the downpours are due to a lingering rain front.
Shizuoka and Kanagawa prefectures are getting the worst of it. The officials say the city of Atami has already seen more than the average rainfall for the whole of July.
Authorities have issued mudslide warnings for parts of Shizuoka and Kanagawa prefectures. Some rivers have already exceeded the flood danger level.
They warn there could be more mudslides, swollen rivers and flooding in low-lying areas. They're asking people to keep up-to-date with the latest evacuation information.
Shinkansen bullet trains between Tokyo and Osaka were suspended as track-safety has not been confirmed due to the heavy rain.