Japan landslide: Rescue teams continue searching as 2 declared dead, at least 20 missing

Search and rescue teams in Japan are continuously searching for missing people after a town was hit by a deadly landslide as heavy rains lashed the area.

Till now, two people have been confirmed dead, 10 have been rescued but nearly 20 people are still missing, a government official reported.

As the landslide hit the area, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called together an emergency task force to tackle the crisis.

"We resumed rescue operations early in the morning with some 1,000 rescuers, including 140 troops," an official told news agency AFP. "We are trying our best to search for survivors as quickly as possible while carrying out the operation very carefully as it is still raining."

The heavy rains and storm led to loose wires dangling, roofs coming down and sinkholes appeared in roads, making it difficult for people to run away from the area to security.

Since the landslide, nearly 2,800 homes have been left without power as the town, around 90 kilometres (55 miles) southwest of Tokyo, saw rainfall of 313 millimetres in just 48 hours to Saturday.