At least seven people are dead and nine are missing after torrential rains triggered landslides and flooding in southwestern Japan.
Fourteen others were feared dead as flooding hit a nursing home in a rural area of Kumamoto prefecture, broadcaster NHK reported on Sunday.
Mr Abe ordered 10,000 troops on stand-by for immediate deployment to join rescue and recovery operations, pledging the central government would "do its best to take emergency measures, prioritising people's lives".
About 50 people were rescued from the home in Kuma Village, about 950 kilometres southwest of Tokyo, Kyodo News reported, citing Kumamoto prefectural officials.
An aerial photo taken from Yomiuri's jetliner shows factories submerged in Ashikitamachi, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. Source: Yomiuri Shimbun
A seasonal rainy front dumped heavy rains in the southwestern prefectures of Kumamoto and Kagoshima on Saturday, leading officials to urge tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes.
Aerial footage showed a resident being lifted with a rope from a roof to a military helicopter as an entire town was awash with muddy water.
A massive landslide destroyed several houses with rescuers searching for missing people through half-buried windows.
"We have issued evacuation orders after record heavy rain," said Toshiaki Mizukami, another official for Kumamoto prefecture.
"We strongly urge people to take action to protect their lives as it's still raining quite heavily," he told AFP.
Authorities were still warning on Sunday of torrential rains, mudslides, flooding and swollen rivers in the region.
Houses are collapsed by a landslide in Tsunagimachi, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. Source: Yomiuri Shimbun
Rainfall of up to 200 millimetres was forecast for southern Kyushu, 150 millimetres for the Tokai region in central Japan and 100 millimetres for northern Kyushu and the southwestern island of Shikoku and the Kinki region by Monday morning, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Additional reporting: AFP
