Japan

Six dead, ten missing in Japanese mudslide

Article published on the 2009-07-22 Latest update 2009-07-22 09:42 TU

A man stands next to his house damaged by heavy rain and mudslides in Hofu
(Photo: Reuters)

Rescue workers in Japan are searching for ten people who are still missing after torrential rains led to floods and landslides in the west of the country which killed at least six people

Much of the rescue effort has centred around a nursing home in Hofu, Yamaguchi prefecture, 750 kilometres west of Tokyo.

Television images showed emergency services staff digging through mud and the debris of broken furniture inside the mud-filled home where three people died and four are still missing.

A local police spokesperson said that at least 280 rescue officers had been sent to help with the search.

Two more people were killed elsewhere in Yamaguchi, one in a landslide and another in a swollen river, while six remained missing, police officials said. Another person drowned in a flooded river In the neighbouring prefecture of Tottori,

Around 370 people were evacuated to emergency shelters while the water supply was cut to some 30,000 households in Yamaguchi. More than 1,270 houses have been flooded.