Japan landslide death toll rises to 42

TOKYO: The death toll from devastating landslides in western Japan rose to 42 on Saturday, as rescuers worked around the clock to comb through destroyed houses in a search for survivors.

Local police said Saturday that at 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.

Emergency officials found two more bodies Saturday, bringing the toll to 42, a Hiroshima police spokesperson said.

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.

Local officials fear even more people could be unaccounted for, buried by the mud and not yet reported missing.

Firefighters and soldiers removed debris by hand where they could, cautious of using heavy machinery amid hopes of finding survivors.

For hours on Friday afternoon, rescue workers had to suspend their operations when the shape of the mountains appeared to change, heralding a possible new landslip.