After a landslide in Atami, Japan’s coastal city, rescue teams pulled survivors from their homes by heavy rain.
According to authorities, 19 people have been rescued so far. After a torrential rain that swept through the city on Saturday, two people were confirmed dead, but many others are still missing.
Japanese media showed footage showing rescue workers looking for life among the rubble of fallen buildings.
According to the Asahi news site, Yoshie Yuhara (75) and her husband Eiji (75), were among those who were rescued after being away for 26 hours. According to them, they heard a “roaring sound like heavy machinery” as the landslide struck and fled to the top floor of their three-storey home before the lower floors became inundated.
What is climate change? This is a very simple guide
Naoto Date (55-year-old actor) returned to his hometown Saturday to witness the destruction.
He said, “I just wanted (to cry) when I saw the events” “There were many elderly people living there. It is sad to think that people may have died in the aftermath of the disaster.
Yuta Hara was a spokesperson for Atami city hall and said that the rain made the ground unstable, and that 387 people were evacuated.
Also Read: Miss Nevada crowns transgender woman Kataluna Enriquez in historic win: ‘Beyond honored’
Residents reported that the mudslide occurred at 10:30 PM local time (02:30 GMT) on Saturday, after days of torrential rain in central Japan.
The city, a popular resort for its hot springs, saw more rain in the first three days than usual during July.
Following warnings of flooding in low-lying areas, hundreds of thousands of residents from three prefectures, Shizuoka Kanagawa, Chiba and Kanagawa, were ordered to evacuate.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Sug, who met with ministers to discuss an emergency, asked residents of the most affected areas to remain alert and take precautions.