Police in Shizuoka Prefecture have confirmed that a bone fragment found in soil from a residential area in Atami City is that of a woman who went missing in a deadly mudslide in July 2021.

Shizuoka Prefectural Police say the massive mudslide on July 3 struck the Izusan district in the city of Atami, leaving 27 people dead. 80-year-old Ota Kazuko went missing.

Police have been trying to locate Ota since finding her driver's license and cash card.

Authorities say soil removed from residential areas was filtered using heavy machinery. They say a bone fragment about 15 centimeters long was found in January.

Police say they cross-checked the fragment against DNA from Ota's relatives, and confirmed that it was part of the woman's arm bone.

The discovery of the last missing person comes more than 19 months after the mudslide occurred.

Ota's son Tomoaki says he's relived that the bones were located and that his mother has finally come home.