Heavy rain floods southern Japan, over dozen presumed dead


PTI, Jul 4, 2020, 7:33 PM IST

Tokyo: Heavy rain in southern Japan triggered flooding and mudslides on Saturday, leaving more than a dozen people presumed dead, about 10 missing and dozens stranded on rooftops waiting to be rescued, officials and news reports said.

More than 75,000 residents in the prefectures of Kumamoto and Kagoshima were urged to evacuate following pounding rains overnight.

The evacuation was not mandatory and it was not known how many fled.

“I smelled mud, and the whole area was vibrating with river water. I’ve never experienced anything like this,” a man in a shelter in Yatsushiro city, in western Kumamoto, told NHK TV. He said he fled early fearing a disaster.

NHK footage showed large areas of Hitoyoshi town in Kumamoto inundated in muddy waters that gushed out from the Kuma River. Many cars were submerged up to their windows.

Mudslides smashed into houses and floodwaters carried trunks from uprooted trees. Several people were standing atop a convenience store as they waited for rescuers.

Kumamoto Governor Ikuo Kabashima later told reporters that 14 residents at a flooded elderly care home in Kuma village were presumed dead after being found during rescue operations, according to Japanese media including NHK and Kyodo News.

Officials said they were still sorting out the numbers and could not confirm the toll.

In Tsunagimachi district, two of three people buried underneath mudslides were pulled out without vital signs, Kumamoto prefectural crisis management official Takafumi Kobori said. Rescuers were still searching for the third person.

In another badly flooded town, Ashikita, six people were unaccounted for and a seventh was seriously injured, Kumamoto officials said.

In the mountainous village of Kuma, residents stranded at their homes were being airlifted by a rescue helicopter.

In Hitoyoshi city, rescuers transported some residents in a boat. Flooding also cut off power and communication lines.

About 8,000 homes in Kumamoto and neighbouring Kagoshima were without electricity, according to the Kyushu Electric Power Co.

Flooding also cut off power and communication lines.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set up a task force and said up to 10,000 defence troops were being mobilised for rescue operations.

The Japan Meteorological Agency earlier issued warnings of extraordinary rain in parts of Kumamoto, which is about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) southwest of Tokyo, but later downgraded them as the rainfall estimated at 100 millimetres (4 inches) per hour.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Davangere: MLA Basavantappa returns Rs 1.2 lakh left behind at shop

Woman dies after being hit by luxury car driven by ‘drunk’ youth in Karnataka

MLA Bharat Shetty condemns attack on Edneer Math Swamiji’s vehicle in Kerala

‘Idiot’: Former Canadian Sikh minister slams Justin Trudeau over Khalistan issue

Salman Khan gets another threat, asked to cough up Rs 5 cr

Canadian cop suspended for attending pro-Khalistan protest outside Hindu temple

Rahul Gandhi to attend caste census meeting in Hyderabad today

Related Articles More

‘Idiot’: Former Canadian Sikh minister slams Justin Trudeau over Khalistan issue

Canadian cop suspended for attending pro-Khalistan protest outside Hindu temple

US going to historically tight presidential election

Expect Canadian government to ensure justice, uphold rule of law: PM Modi

Khalistanis clash with people at Hindu temple in Canada, Trudeau says unacceptable

MUST WATCH

Gho Pooja in Deepavali Festival

Melukote Deepavali

Ganapathi Co-operative Society Ltd

Udayavani Chinnara Banna 2024

Annapoorna Aahar | Food Places In Mysore


Latest Additions

India, Australia strategic partnership growing steadily: EAM Jaishankar

Davangere: MLA Basavantappa returns Rs 1.2 lakh left behind at shop

Ullal: Man attacked for allegedly providing information on illegal sand mining

Woman dies after being hit by luxury car driven by ‘drunk’ youth in Bengaluru

Woman dies after being hit by luxury car driven by ‘drunk’ youth in Karnataka

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.