AKIPRESS.COM - At least 18 people are known to have died in a huge landslide that crushed homes in western Japan, media reports said Wednesday, with 13 others still missing.

Television footage on Wednesday showed residents and rescue workers searching through the rubble of the suburban homes for survivors, Voice of America reports.

The area received about 24 millimeters, or nearly a month's worth, of rain within a 24-hour period, loosening hills already soaked by recent storms.

Forecasters warn that more rain is expected, saying there is a continued risk of flooding and landslides.

Landslides pose a major risk in crowded Japan, where many homes are built on or near steep slopes.