Japan floods death toll rises to 25

Policemen and members of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force take part in seach operations for missing people in a flooded area in Toho, Fukuoka prefecture on July 8, 2017. -AFP

TOKYO: The death toll from torrential rains and flooding that swept through Japan’s south has reached 25, the government said Tuesday, as rescue teams battled through thick mud to rescue more than 100 still stranded.

Further downpours were predicted to pound Kyushu after swathes of the southwestern island were devastated last week by overflowing rivers -- sweeping away roads, houses and schools and forcing thousands of people into makeshift shelters.