Mudslide rescue efforts continue
20 people missing, 3 dead in resort town
ATAMI, Japan — More than 1,000 soldiers, firefighters and police on Sunday waded through a giant mudslide that ripped through a Japanese resort town southwest of Tokyo a day earlier, killing at least three people and leaving about 20 missing as it swept away houses and cars.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters 19 people had been rescued, and 130 homes and other buildings were damaged in Atami.
Three people were dead but more were feared missing, he said, speaking after an emergency Cabinet meeting. Earlier, disaster officials said about 20 were unaccounted for but warned the number may rise. Shizuoka prefecture officials said three people had been injured.
“The area is still having heavy rainfall, but arduous rescue efforts will continue,” Suga said, warning residents to watch out for more landslides. “Please act as quickly as you can to stay safe.”
Troops, firefighters and other rescue workers, backed by three coast guard ships, were working to clear the mud from the streets of Atami and reach those believed to be trapped or carried away. The rescue workers were barely visible in the rainfall and thick fog except for their
hard hats. Six military drones were being flown to help in the search.
Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu told a news conference Sunday that land development upstream from the affected area may have played a role in the disaster. Citing preliminary drone examination, Kawakatsu said massive amounts of soil heaped up in the area were all washed down, although it was not immediately known whether the development was the direct cause.
Kawakatsu said he will investigate the land development. Media reports
said a planned housing development had been abandoned after its operator had a financial problem.
The mudslide early Saturday crashed down a mountainside into rows of houses following heavy rains that began several days ago. Witnesses said they heard a giant roar and then watched helplessly as homes were swallowed up by the muddy waves.
The area of Atami where the mudslide struck, Izusan, is a seaside resort known for hot springs, a shrine and shopping streets.