Rescue workers continued on Sunday to search for 20 people who went missing following a large mudslide triggered by torrential rain southwest of Tokyo that left two others dead.
Around 700 police and Self-Defense Forces personnel, as well as firefighters, are involved in the search in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, while work to clear away mud and debris using heavy machinery began early in the morning amid intermittent rain.
The coast guard also continued looking for missing persons at a nearby port, where two women showing no vital signs were discovered and later confirmed dead Saturday.
The Meteorological Agency said heavy rain is expected to continue mostly in areas on the Sea of Japan side and warned the public to be vigilant against further mudslides, flooding and swollen rivers.
The disaster is thought to have affected some 80 houses, some of which were completely destroyed, in the hot-spring resort after mud cascaded from a mountain top at around 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
As of Sunday morning, nearly 390 people were ordered to evacuate. The city government issued the highest level of alert due to the high risk of sediment-related disasters.
Services on the Tokaido Shinkansen fully resumed from the first train early Sunday, its operator Central Japan Railway Co. said.
The government, which set up a task force at the Prime Minister’s Office Saturday, continues to monitor the situation.
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