Dramatic footage of a mudslide with 20 missing in Japan

At least 20 people are missing after a landslide occurred in the Japanese city of Atami, just over 100 kilometers from Tokyo, which resulted in houses, vehicles and much of the street furniture. The drama occurred in the midst of a rainy season record, with accumulated that exceed 550 millimeters in just over 48 hours.

The drama occurred at 10:30 a.m. local time on Saturday. “Listen terrible noise, and I saw a wall of mud come down, while workers urged people to evacuate. I also ran to be safe at height, “testifies a witness linked to the Japanese public channel NHK.

“When I came back, houses and cars had disappearedHe added. In various videos taken by the neighbors, it was possible to see how the gigantic mudslide he swept entire buildings, vehicles and part of the power lines and the Atami road, a popular tourist destination for his “onsen” or Japanese hot springs.

Lifeguards they managed to recover the bodies of two people, who were dragged through the mud to the city’s port area. Meanwhile, the search continues for 20 more people missing after the avalanche.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said “all possible resources” would be mobilized to try to locate the missing and help the victims, speaking to local media at an emergency meeting.

Local authorities also ordered the evacuation of around 20,000 people in Atami and several thousand others in different parts of southwestern Japan, while the prefectures of Shizuoka, Kanagawa and Chiba remain under maximum weather alert.

The avalanche has occurred in full Rainy season in Japan, they often cause floods and landslides.

Near 800 mm fell from last Thursday to Saturday in Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, while in Shizuoka more than 550 mm.

Heavy rains also caused disruptions to the rail transport network, with temporary suspensions of high-speed Shinkansen services between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations, as well as other local lines, according to the operating companies.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency has warned of the risk that flooding and land displacement will continue over the weekend on the country’s west coast, which is in the midst of the summer rainy season, and given forecasts that torrential rains will continue.