At least 32 dead as Japan landslides engulf homes

Huge landslides in western Japan killed at least 32 people and left another nine missing Wednesday, authorities said, after waves of mud engulfed homes in a suffocating sludge. Dozens of houses were buried when hillsides collapsed after torrential downpours in Hiroshima. A spokesman for Hiroshima Police said the death toll was still climbing. ‘The figures may change as the rescue efforts continue,’ he warned. The number of dead had risen rapidly from an initial four, which included a two-year-old boy. Among the dead was a 53-year-old rescuer, who was killed by a secondary landslide after he had pulled five people to safety, the Fire and Disaster. Torrents of brown water raced off the mountains behind the homes and through the wrecked buildings, hampering rescuers' efforts as they searched for anyone still trapped. Around 32,000 places in the locality are designated as at risk from landslides. Experts said many of the hills are composed of fragmented granite, which can become unstable when waterlogged, according to AFP.