Hundreds of Japanese rescue workers continued to search for survivors Monday, after a devastating torrent of black mud swept through a coastal city Saturday, killing at least three people and leaving 80 feared missing.

Around 700 police, firefighters and Self-Defense Forces personnel were involved in the search in the Izusan district of Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture.

The rescuers climbed onto cracked roofs and searched vehicles thrown onto engulfed buildings, as heavy rain lashed the area. The popular resort of Atami has had more rainfall in the first three days this month than it normally sees in one whole month.

About 100 kilometers South of Tokyo, Atami is a smal coastal city with a population of around 36,000 people. The first big wave was captured on several videos posted on Twitter. Officials estimate some 130 homes were damaged, reports said.

Around 2,800 homes in Atami have been left without electricity, the Tokyo Electric Power Company said.

"The ground rumbled and the electricity pylons were shaking...it all happened in a split-second," a resident of Atami said.

The coast guard also continued their search for missing persons at a nearby port, where two women showing no vital signs were found and later confirmed dead, Sunday.

Officials said 25 survivors have been rescued, while 80 remain unaccounted for. They had previously said 113 were missing, CNN reported.

"We're trying our best to search for survivors as quickly as possible while carrying out the operation very carefully as it is still raining," Agence France-Presse quoted a local official as saying.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held an emergency cabinet meeting Sunday to address the situation.

"The most important thing is to protect lives. Therefore, we are working together with local authorities to avoid a second disaster," Suga said in remarks quoted by Japan Forward.

Suga instructed officials and participants to make an all-out effort to search for people missing in the mudslide and support those affected. He also asked people in the area to remain vigilant.

More than 200 people were killed as deadly floods ravaged western Japan in 2018. Last year, dozens more died as the pandemic complicated relief efforts.