Grim search after 31 die in Japan

TOKYO - Rescue teams carried out a painstaking search on Monday for the missing after a typhoon pounded western Japan leaving at least 31 people dead and more than 50 unaccounted for, local authorities said.

Torrential rain brought by powerful Typhoon Talas, which made landfall on Saturday and was one of the deadliest in years, caused rivers to swell and triggered floods and landslides that swept away buildings, homes and roads.

Police and firefighters resumed a search for the missing early on Monday, warning that the number of victims was set to rise as the continued threat of landslides and damaged access routes hampered relief efforts.