Officials claim 20 people are missing following a massive landslide in Atami, central Japan.
A flood of mud poured down a hillside in the city southwest of Tokyo, as TV footage showed. A number of homes were demolished or buried.
According to national broadcaster NHK, the event occurred after days of heavy rain in the area.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is assembling an emergency response team to deal with the catastrophe.
Rainfall in the province of Shizuoka, where Atami is located, has been above normal for July.
A witness told NHK: “I heard a horrible sound and saw a mudslide flowing downwards as rescue workers were urging people to evacuate. So I ran to higher ground.”
During Japan’s yearly rainy season, mudslides and floods are common.
