Three people were found dead at the site of a landslide in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, after the region was hit by heavy rains, a local official said Saturday.
Rescue workers were searching for three people: a man in his 90s, a woman in her 80s and a man in her 40s. They lived in a wooden house that collapsed after the landslide.
The landslide occurred early Friday morning after the weather bureau warned of heavy rain in western Japan. Authorities also urged people to be extra alert for landslides and flooding in low-lying areas.
Two men and a woman died after an all-night search, an Ehime official said.
“We still don’t know if the three who were discovered are the ones who are still missing,” he said, noting that authorities were trying to verify their identities.
Japan is currently in the annual rainy season, which often brings heavy rainfall. Sometimes, flooding, landslides and casualties occur.
Climate change is increasing the risk of heavy rainfall in Japan and elsewhere, scientists say, as a warmer atmosphere holds more water.
The landslide occurred at the foot of a hill where the impressive Matsuyama Castle stands.
As of early Friday morning, 213 millimeters of rain had fallen in Matsuyama since Wednesday, an amount almost equal to the average for the entire month of July, NHK reported.
After the landslide, the city issued the highest evacuation alert for about 22,000 people spread across more than 13,000 households.
