As rescuers removed mud and picked through rubble three days after torrential rain triggered deadly landslides, the death toll in the city of Hiroshima rose to 49 on Saturday, with 41 missing.
Volunteers are trickling in from across the country to join the effort as police, firefighters and soldiers work to remove tons of mud and debris hampering rescue operations in the northern part of the city.
The death toll rose by nine on Friday, while the number of missing dropped to 41 from 47. Police say more might be unaccounted for simply because they got buried and their absence hasn't been noticed yet.