Hiroshima (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The torrential rains that have hit the Japanese prefecture of Hiroshima have led to lethal landslides with at least 39 people dead. However, the rescuers admit that the number of victims 'could reach 100' as 51 residents are still uncounted for, and the river of mud created by the rain has made it impossible to reach all the affected areas. More than 100 thousand people have been evacuated.
About 3 thousand people are engaged in rescue efforts, and authorities fear that new landslides could occur "later this evening." One rescue worker is among the victims who was hit by a sudden landslide. The government blames the exceptional severity of the rains - an entire month's rainfall fell in three hours - but admits culpability in delaying the evacuation order.
A woman who survived the disaster, told local television: "There was a really strange smell, a very raw, earthy smell. When we opened a window to see what was going on, the entire hillside just came down, with a crackling noise, a thundering noise".