A municipal worker in Tokyo has been killed and four are missing after being struck by a tide of sewage while repairing a drain, reports say.

The worker died in hospital after being found floating unconscious in a river near the drain, emergency officials told the Associated Press news agency.

A fifth worker managed to escape the sudden surge under a manhole in the south-east of Japan's capital.

The repair work on the drains followed thunderstorms and flooding in the city.

The fire department is working to locate and rescue the missing workers, spokesman Masami Komura told AP.





