37 dead or missing from Japan landslides

TOKYO, Aug 20 (KUNA) -- The death toll from a series of mudslides and floods caused by heavy rain in western Japan rose to 27 and 10 others are still missing, police said Wednesday.
The landslides happened early in the morning in a residential area in the mountains of Hiroshima City after torrential downpours were observed, the National Police Agency said.
The government set up a taskforce in Hiroshima City to deal with the disaster, while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe instructed the Defense Ministry to dispatch some 630 troops to the affected area for rescue operations.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, more than 200 millimeters of rain was recorded in the city in three hours on Wednesday, surpassing the total monthly average for August. The agency warned of more mudslides in the disaster-hit area. (end) mk.gta