Japan: Floods and landslides, 17 people died, missing

Hundreds of policemen, soldiers and rescue workers are trying to find 9 missing in floods and landslides after heavy rains in southern Japan. 8 people, including many elderly people in a nursing home, died.

Most of the approximately 100 people living at this nursing home were taken to the roof and evacuated by helicopter after a landslide on July 21. However 5 people were killed before being rescued, 2 others were missing.

Rescue workers said the ground floor of the two-story building - located in Hofu city, Yamaguchi prefecture - is flooded with water, mud and rock. The bodies of the dead victims were found on July 22 evening. A police official said the victims were between the ages of 63 and 95.

Nursing home in Hofu, where landslides are devastating (Photo: AP / Kyodo News)

Also in Hofu, rescue workers found the body of an 85-year-old woman buried in another landslide. Another drowned after being swept down by a river.

According to local authorities, at least 110 landslides occurred across Hofu.

In the nearby city of Shimonoseki, on July 22, a rescue team found a 74-year-old farmer who fell into a reservoir flooding the country.

Heavy rain also flooded a water filtration station in the area, causing clean water supply for nearly 30,000 households to be cut. Local officials and soldiers of the defense ministry went to the affected areas by amphibious vehicles and built temporary baths for the people.

A statement from Yamaguchi Prefecture said more than 400 people in eight cities in the province were evacuated.