Tokyo: Rescue teams on Monday carried out a grim search for the missing after a typhoon pummelled western Japan leaving at least 27 people dead and at least 50 unaccounted for, local authorities said.
Torrential rain brought by powerful Typhoon Talas, which made landfall in western Japan on Saturday, caused rivers to swell and triggered floods and landslides that swept away buildings, homes and roads.
Landslides
Police and firefighters resumed a search for the missing early Monday, warning that the number of victims was set to rise as the continued threat of landslides and damaged access routes hampered relief efforts.
In the deadliest typhoon since an October 2004 storm killed nearly 100 people, the floods it triggered gave rise to scenes eerily reminiscent of the aftermath of the March 11 tsunami that hit northeast Japan.
In Nachikatsuura a railway bridge was swept into a river, while TV footage showed splintered trees, crushed houses and cars tossed onto walls and buildings by the raging floodwaters that inundated entire neighbourhoods.
Rescue, recovery
By Sunday, Talas was downgraded to a tropical storm after it moved over Japan and into the Sea of Japan (East Sea), the nation's Meteorological Agency said, but a continued risk of further landslides posed a threat to rescue and recovery efforts.
The storm came after new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda was sworn in on Friday, replacing Naoto Kan, who was heavily criticised for Japan's response in the aftermath of the March 11 disasters.
"We will do our best in saving lives and finding the missing," Noda told reporters early Monday.
The Talas weather system, moving as slow as 10km per hour, dumped 1.8m of rain on a village in Nara prefecture for five days through Sunday, more than Tokyo's annual average rainfall, said the Yomiuri daily.
Wakayama hardest hit
Wakayama prefecture was the hardest hit region, where 17 people were killed and 28 were still missing. More than 200 rescue workers continued the search on the ground on Monday.
"We are struggling to get a hold on the current situation... electricity is out and destroyed roads are preventing our vehicles from going into affected areas," said an official at the fire department in Tanabe, Wakayama prefecture.
"We are conducting operations everywhere in the city. With phone lines down, however, we have no means of communication" with those stranded in areas hit by landslides or flooding, the official said.
One woman was killed in a mudslide and seven others were missing in the city.
Mayor's daughter killed
The daughter of Nachikatsuura town mayor Shinichi Teramoto was killed as he ran disaster relief operations Sunday, media said, and his wife was missing. His house was destroyed by a torrent of water.
"I saw the body of my daughter (late Sunday). The best I could do was to be by her side for half an hour," NHK footage showed the major saying in his office.
"While I'm here, I don't want to show (my sorrow) even though I have this in my mind," he said.
Homes crushed
Television footage showed massive landslides crushing wooden houses in mountain communities, with muddy water submerging streets and washing away wooden debris and cars.
A tally by Kyodo News said at least 3,600 were left stranded by landslides and collapsed bridges.
