IN PICS | Rescue Operations Continue After 3 Days Of The Deadly Landslide Hit Atami, Japan

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After days of heavy rainfall a landslide occurred on Saturday in the city of Atami, which like many seaside Japanese towns is built into a steep hillside. It tore through the Izusan neighborhood, known for its hot springs, a shrine and shopping streets. The town has a registered population of 36,800 and is about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tokyo. (Image Source: Reuters)

According to media reports, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga asked people in the affected areas to remain on alert and take precautions after he and cabinet ministers met on Sunday to discuss the disaster and heavy rain in the central and eastern Japan. (Image Source: Reuters)

The landslides were triggered by torrential downpours - with some areas receiving more rain in 24 hours than they would usually get for the whole of July. In the photo, Members of Japanese Self-Defence Forces conduct rescue and search operation at a mudslide site caused by heavy rain at Izusan district in Atami. (Image Source: Reuters)

By Monday, the number of rescuers at the disaster site had risen to 1,500, officials were reported as saying by Reuters. (Image Source: Reuters)

Media reports said a planned housing development in the area was abandoned after its operator ran into financial problems. (Image Source: Reuters)

On Saturday, witnesses described a giant roar as a small stream turned into a torrent, and bystanders were heard gasping in horror on videos taken as it happened. The videos quickly went viral. (Image Source: Reuters)

Some 700 people from the Shizuoka prefectural police, firefighters and Japan's military continued their search and rescue efforts, but their operations have been interrupted twice due to a risk of ground loosening and warnings of secondary damage from rain, Yuta Hara, a spokesman for Atami city hall told Reuters. (Image Source: Reuters)

As per recent reports, search of the missing 24 people is still going on Tuesday. The operation heavily depends on rescuers working with their hands, the use of heavy machinery deemed too dangerous for any survivors who may be alive under mud. (Image Source: Reuters)

"We have not yet received any new information on survivors ... People in the field are working hard in their search and rescue operation," Atami city spokesperson Hiroki Onuma told Reuters. (Image Source: Reuters)