The death toll from devastating landslides in western Japan rose to 42 today, as rescuers worked around the clock to comb through destroyed houses in a search for survivors.
Local police said Saturday that least 43 people were still missing in Hiroshima, where heavy rain triggered landslides early Wednesday that swallowed dozens of homes.
The rain had stopped by early Saturday morning, but nearly 3,000 rescuers, soldiers and police officers remained wary, with meteorologists predicting another heavy downpour by evening. The city government was upholding evacuation orders for more than 4,500 local residents amid fears of fresh landslides.
Confusion has reigned over the number of people potentially trapped in the debris as authorities continue to receive new reports of missing people, while some individuals believed lost were found alive at emergency shelters.
