The death toll from the disaster has reached 34, of whom 28 died in the city of Asakura in Fukuoka Prefecture.

 At the disaster control headquarters in the Asakura city government office, all officials stood up at 9 a.m. (midnight Tuesday GMT) to offer silent prayers for about a minute.

 "We prayed for the souls of those who passed away and for the early discovery of the seven people who remain missing," Asakura Mayor Shunsuke Morita said. "We will make every effort to restore our lost hometown."

 Near the Akatani River in the Hakihoshimaru district of Asakura, some 280 Self-Defense Forces troops engaged in search operations lined up and closed their eyes for prayers.

 "We extended our heartfelt condolences," said Hideo Izumi of the Ground SDF's Beppu camp in Oita Prefecture, who leads the search operations. Oita neighbors Fukuoka.

 "We'll do all we can to find the missing," Izumi, 45, added.

 A 76-year-old woman who has been evacuated to a junior high school in Asakura said, "When I think of those who lost their lives, I am speechless as I shared their situation."

 On Tuesday, evacuation advisories were issued for some areas of the city of Asakura and the village of Toho, also in Fukuoka, due to risks of heavy rain. The advisories were lifted on Wednesday morning. (Jiji Press)