Four dead, dozens missing in Japanese mudslide

At least four people are dead and 80 unaccounted for two days after a mudslide ripped through a town in Japan’s Shizuoka prefecture, The Associated Press reports.

One hundred forty-seven people were believed to be missing immediately after the mudslide occurred, but that number dropped after officials confirmed that some had been safely evacuated or simply not been home at the time. Officials are planning on releasing the names of the remaining 80 who are missing, hoping that many others were also away at the time, as many of the affected properties are second homes or vacation rentals.

The mudslide occurred in the seaside town of Atami after several days of heavy rain. Like many seaside Japanese towns, Atami is built on a steep hillside. The town has a population of about 36,800 and is roughly 60 miles southwest of Tokyo.

Apart from the four who died, 25 people were rescued, three of whom were injured. Three coast guard ships and six military drones backed up hundreds of troops, firefighters and others working through the wreckage, the AP reports.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said rescue workers are doing their best “to rescue those who may be buried under the mud and waiting for help as soon as possible.” 

The mudslide ran through the Izusan neighborhood, known for its hot springs and shopping.

Actor Naoto Date, who was visiting Izusan, described being awakened by sirens and seeing homes and cars washed away by the mud.

“I grew up here, and my classmates and friends live here. I’m so sad to see my neighborhood where I used to play with my friends is now destroyed,” Date told the AP.