Rainfall and Floods Leave 15 Missing in Japan

Japan has been receiving unusually heavy rainfall which has resulted in flooding and has left 15 people missing thus far.

“We are seeing heavy rains unlike anything experienced before,” a Japan Meteorological Agency official said.

Television footage has shown overflowing rivers bursting their banks, releasing violent waves which have swept up houses and rage through villages. Farmland has been damaged and roads eroded.

Authorities have been quick to respond to the situation and have deployed 7500 police officers and rescue personnel to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people from the flood hit areas of Kyushu. Helicopters have been stationed to support rescue efforts once the weather clears.

Soldiers also entered the scene in an attempt to save people from the dangerous waters and oncoming landslides.

Asakura was one of the worst hit cities, with an official from the city’s disaster management division claiming they know of 6 people who are missing. One of them includes a child who was carried away by the surging waters. He also said authorities have been receiving numerous calls from distressed people around the country.

“We are also hearing about houses being swept away and landslides blocking streets,” he said.

The weather agency has alerted people of overflowing rivers in Japan’s island of Kyushu and issued landslide warnings.

So far Kyushu has received bouts of rain accumulating to more than 50 centimeters of water in just 12 hours when the tip of a typhoon hit the island. Heavy downpour is expected to continue until Friday.

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Posted by fatimaarshad on Jul 6 2017. Filed under Latest News, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.