Two feared dead, several missing in Japan landslide after heavy rain

At least two people have been killed after landslides triggered by heavy rains hit the central Japanese city of Atami, where at least 20 people are still missing, local officials and local media said.

Two people were "found in a state of cardio and respiratory arrest", the regional governor said on Saturday, an expression often used in Japan before confirming death.

"Because of the heavy rain, the ground loosened and the mudslide occurred... it picked up speed and swept away houses together with people," Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu told reporters.

He said "around 20" people were still missing after being swept away by the landslide.

Television footage aired by public broadcaster NHK showed a torrent of mud obliterating some buildings and burying others in Atami city.

Prefectural disaster management official Takamichi Sugiyama said the mudslide occurred in an area called Izusan. 

The landslide occurred at around 10:30 am, an Atami city officials said, adding that "several houses were swept away" and 200 homes in the area had been left without power.

Self-defence forces have joined firefighters and police in the rescue operation. 

Evacuation warnings were issued for a widespread area. 

Emergency task force

"It is a beautiful area overlooking the coast so for people who live in Tokyo, it might be a place where they would go to for vacation, especially in the summer," journalist Michael Penn told TRT World from Tokyo. 

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said emergency services and the military had launched rescue and evacuation missions, warning that more downpours were forecast.

"There is a possibility of heavy rain due to the rain front, so we still need to be alert at the maximum level," he said at an emergency disaster meeting.

"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," the head of a temple near the disaster told NHK.

"When I returned, houses and cars that were in front of the temple were gone."

Rainy season in Japan 

Most of Japan is currently in its rainy season, which often causes floods and landslides and prompts local authorities to issue evacuation orders.

Atami saw rainfall of 313 millimetres in just 48 hours up to midnight on Saturday – above the monthly average of 242.5 millimetres in July, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Atami, in the largely rural Shizuoka region, is around 90 kilometres from Tokyo and is famous as a hot spring resort.

Shinkansen bullet trains between Tokyo and Osaka were temporarily stopped due to the heavy rain, while other local trains in affected areas were also halted, according to rail company websites.