Tokyo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - At least 18 people have died due to a landslide that hit a residential area on the outskirts of Hiroshima. The landslide was produced by torrential rain: the equivalent of one months rain has fallen in the last 24 hours.
Witnesses speak of a wall of water invading homes in the middle of the night, stones and mud the height of the roofs; houses overturned and others swept away by the landslide. Many people fled for their lives.
However so far there have been 18 people confirmed dead and 13 missing. Several children were among the dead; the victims also include a member of the rescue team, who was engulfed by a second landslide while he offered his help.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has deployed hundreds of soldiers to speed up rescue operations.
The weather in Japan forecasts even more rain in the area and there is a risk of further landslides.