NARA, Dec 26 (News On Japan) - Rescue teams at the site of a major landslide in Nara Prefecture that swept away a national highway Saturday night have discovered a vehicle buried under the rubble that is suspected to belong to a missing man in his 70s.
The landslide occurred in Shimokitayama Village, where mud and debris measuring 40 meters in height and spanning 20 to 30 meters in width covered National Route 169.
The elderly man, presumed to have been traveling on the affected route, has been unreachable since the disaster struck on Dec 23.
Fire department officials confirmed the sighting of a portion of the car beneath the debris.
Given the precarious nature of the landslide area and the potential for further erosion, unmanned heavy machinery has been deployed to carry on with the task of clearing the rubble.
Related article: Driver feared trapped in Nara landslideSource: TBS NEWS