Landslides hit Japanese care home

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Police, soldiers and rescue workers are searching for nine people missing after torrential rains triggered floods and landslides in southern Japan.

At least eight people, including elderly residents of a nursing home, have been killed.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes and fresh water supplies have been cut off.

A seasonal rain front has caused torrential downpours in southwestern Japan since the weekend.

Five residents of the nursing home in Hofu City in Yamaguchi Prefecture were found in piles of rocks and mud by rescue workers and dogs.

The victims were between 63 and 95 years old.

Most of about 100 residents of the home were brought to the roof and lifted out by helicopter on Tuesday after a mudslide hit the building.

Television footage showed dozens of soldiers, police and rescue workers wading through muddy waters and shovelling out debris and rocks at the nursing home.

Separately, in the same area, an 85-year-old woman was buried in a landslide, and another person drowned after being washed into a swollen river.

A 74-year-old farmer died after falling into a swollen reservoir.

The heavy rains also flooded a nearby water purifying station, cutting off fresh water to nearly 30,000 homes.

Yamaguchi has seen record rainfall for July.