32 killed in Japan landslides

Hiroshima: At least 32 people have been killed in landslides that struck Japan's Hiroshima prefecture, officials say.

The landslides happened in a residential area near a mountain in the Hiroshima city outskirts. They were triggered after the equivalent of a month's rain fell in the 24 hours up to Wednesday morning, Japan's weather agency said.

Reports said nine people were still missing and several of those killed were children and one of the youngest victims was a two-year-old boy.

Among the dead was a 53-year old rescue worker who died when the hillside collapsed again, said authorities. He had pulled five people to safety during the operation.