Some 20 people are missing after a huge landslide hit Atami city in central Japan, officials say.

TV footage showed a torrent of mud plummeting down a hillside in the city southwest of Tokyo. Several houses were destroyed or buried.

The incident follows days of heavy rain in the region, national broadcaster NHK reports.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is putting together an emergency task force to respond to the disaster.

Rainfall has been above the average for July for the province of Shizuoka, where Atami is located.

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."

Japan is prone to mudslides and flooding during its annual rainy season.

Source: BBC 

BDST: 1323 HRS, JUL 03, 2021
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