Japan rescuers continue search as more rain forecast, at least 18 dead - NHK

A police officer stands next to debris swept away by heavy rain in Asakura, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Issei Kato

ASAKURA, Japan (Reuters) - Japanese rescuers continued their search for victims of freak rains that have triggered floods and landslides in southwest Japan and left at least 18 people dead and hundreds of others displaced, public broadcaster NHK reported on Sunday.

About 1,900 policemen and soldiers, using heavy machinery, braved the rain and grappled with debris of driftwood and mud that have cut off roads and clogged flooded homes.