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Mudslide victims’ families to file lawsuit against Atami, Shizuoka Pref.

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Izusan area in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, which was damaged by a major mudslide, is seen on July 5, 2021.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:29 JST, July 3, 2022

SHIZUOKA — Families bereaved by the July 3, 2021 mudslide disaster in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, plan to file a lawsuit against the city and the prefecture for failing to take appropriate measures over a soil mound that collapsed following heavy rain.

Lawyers representing the Victims’ Association announced the plan at a press conference in the city on Sunday, saying they would demand compensation for damages.

The families will claim that the city and prefecture failed to act in accordance with regulations with regard to the soil mound, which was built on high ground and exacerbated the effects of the mudslide, according to the lawyers.

The lawsuit will be filed with the Numazu branch of the Shizuoka District Court by the end of August.

In September last year, the association filed a lawsuit with the Numazu branch against the previous and current owners of the land where the mudslide originated, demanding about ¥5.8 billion in damages.