Rescuers search for 29 unaccounted for after Atami mudslide

Tokyo, Jul 6 (EFE).- Japanese rescue teams on Tuesday continued their search for an estimated 29 people who remain unaccounted for following a huge mudslide that ripped through the seaside town of Atami last weekend.

Authorities have confirmed five fatalities so far as rescue efforts entered the crucial 72nd hour, after which the chance of finding survivors decreases.

The mudslide in Atami, southwest of the Japanese capital Tokyo, came after days of torrential rain in the region. The landslide swept several buildings away and damaged 130 houses, some of which were completely destroyed.

Around 1,100 members of the Japan Self-Defence Forces, police and fire brigade are involved in the rescue efforts.

The NHK news agency said 29 people remained unaccounted for and that 600 people evacuated from the disaster zone had yet to be able to return.

Japan’s meteorological agency forecasted heavy rain for central areas of the country for the rest of the week, warning that there was a continued threat of further landslides. EFE

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