A damaging landslide destroyed about a dozen homes in northern Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture on December 31, 2022, leaving at least 2 people missing.
The slide took place early Saturday morning in the Tsuruoka city of Yamagata Prefecture, crashing into a cluster of homes and triggering a rescue operation involving 80 firefighters and police officers.
Two people have been rescued and there are fears more residents might be trapped under the rubble.
Yamagata prefectural police said the slide took place at about 01:00 LT, hitting about 10 buildings.
“The collapsed mountain contains red clay and fine sand,” said a 68-year-old man, whose parents live in a village about 500 m [1 640 feet] from the site. “I’ve never heard of the mountain collapsing on this scale before.”1
A man who went to the site before 02:00 LT told NHK that multiple buildings in a residential area had been hit. He said an occupied house appeared to have been inundated with debris.2
Search and rescue operation is underway.
1 2 missing after landslide hits houses in Yamagata Pref. – The Japan Times – December 31, 2022
2 Two people rescued after landslide in northeastern Japan – NHK – December 31, 2022
