Six days after torrential rain hit the Kyushu region, about 180 people were still cut off in Fukuoka and Oita prefectures and around 1,700 remained in evacuation centers as rescuers fought through mud to search for the missing.

The death toll as of Monday afternoon had risen to 22, with 20 people still missing.

A total of 2,080 Self-Defense Forces personnel, firefighters and others were engaged in search and rescue operations in Asakura, Fukuoka Prefecture, one of the hardest-hit areas.