Report: 2021 Fatal Atami Mudslide Originated From Soil Mound
An inquiry panel has issued an interim report on the cause of a deadly mudslide in Japan's prefecture of Shizuoka last year.
The disaster hit the Izusan district of the seaside resort city of Atami. A massive amount of mud flowed from a soil mound built in an area on high ground down along a mountain river, leaving 26 people dead and one person missing.
The panel, set up by the prefectural government, concluded that river water had been flowing underground into the mound.
A survey by the prefecture also revealed that a contractor involved in building the mound testified that water was seeping out of it every day, creating puddles, and that the entire mound was soaking wet.
Shizuoka Vice Governor Namba Takashi told reporters that the mudslide was almost certainly caused by a collapse of the mound. He said the mound was inappropriately built in an area where water collects very easily.
The panel plans to issue a final report by July 3, exactly one year after the disaster.