Two people are unaccounted for and thousands have been ordered to leave their homes after torrential rain pounded western Japan.
Rescuers were searching for two people after a landslide caused by heavy rain hit their house in the city of Higashi Hiroshima on Tuesday morning, Kyodo News reported.
Thousands of residents in the town of Misato and the city of Gotsu were ordered to flee their homes after heavy rain caused the Gono River to overflow, local media reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency expected a seasonal rainy front to dump massive amounts of rain on central and western Japan on Tuesday, warning of flooding, landslides, swollen rivers and strong winds.
The agency forecast rainfall of up to 200mm for the Tokai region and the island of Shikoku and up to 150mm for the Kinki region by Wednesday morning.
Earlier this month, torrential rains triggered landslides and flooding on the southern island of Kyushu and other parts of Japan, leaving 72 dead and 13 others unaccounted for.
Since July 4, torrential rains caused a total of 378 landslides, including 76 in Kumamoto prefecture and 49 in Kagoshima prefecture, while 106 rivers overflowed, according to a government survey.
Nearly 14,000 houses were flooded or damaged on Kyushu and western and central Japan, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Australian Associated Press
