KATHMANDU: At least 16 people were killed and a dozen others went missing on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu as unprecedented rains caused flooding and landslides, BBC reported.

Fourteen victims were found in one nursing home which was inundated after a nearby river broke its banks.

More than 200,000 security personnel have been deployed to evacuate and 10,000 soldiers are being sent to help rescuers.

Rainfall eased during the day on Sunday, but more is forecast to hit in the region on Sunday night.

The number of fatalities is expected to rise, with national broadcaster NHK reporting another 20 people in a state of “cardio-respiratory arrest” – a term used in Japan before a doctor officially certifies death.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged residents to be on “maximum alert”. The prefectures of Kumamoto and Kagoshima have been worst hit.

(With inputs from Agencies)