Four of five people missing in torrential rain that swamped the Tohoku region last week were found in a state of cardio-respiratory arrest Saturday and later confirmed dead, local police said.

The victims were identified as Kazuo Hagawa, 61, his mother, Natsu, 88, Kiichiro Hagawa, 93, and Minoru Hanegawa, 58. Police were still searching for Hagawa's wife, Ryuko, 54, who was still missing as of Saturday evening.

The five disappeared after eight houses were destroyed by a landslide in Senboku, Akita Prefecture, that also left a 62-year-old woman in critical condition and injured two other female residents.

By Friday night, Senboku had seen a record 88 mm of rain per hour, with more than 270 mm having pelted the town since the morning — topping the average monthly rainfall for August.

In Iwate Prefecture, a 91-year-old woman was found dead after being buried in a landslide in Hanamaki, while a man, 62, was killed when he was swept away by a swollen river in Nishiwaga.