Disasters & Accidents

1 dead, 2 missing from Japan torrential rains

Tokyo, Aug 13 (EFE).- Torrential rains Friday in the west and southwest of Japan caused landslides and left one person dead and at least two missing, while much of the country remains on alert.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued an emergency alert Friday in several areas due to the risk of floods, landslides and river overflows, urging citizens to take measures to evacuate if necessary.

On the island of Kyushu, in southwestern Japan, a woman died and two people are missing due to a landslide that damaged two houses in Unzen, a town in Nagasaki prefecture.

According to Nagasaki authorities, an elderly man was rescued at the accident site, where record rains exceeding 740 millimeters were also recorded during the last 48 hours.

Other cities on the island in the southwest of the archipelago such as Shimabara or Amakusa also accumulated 540 and 520 millimeters of water respectively.

Hiroshima prefecture, in western Japan, was on high alert Friday morning, due to the high probability of “imminent danger” and of registering “damage among the greatest in recent decades,” according to forecasts by the Meteorological Agency, although the alert level was lowered at noon.

Heavy rains in and around the city of Hiroshima reached 170 millimeters of water in three hours Friday.

Japanese authorities urged citizens to remain alert and avoid low places or near rivers, due to the strong storms and rainfall in the next 48 hours that will also affect other central areas of the country.

The government met in an emergency meeting in Tokyo, led by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, to contact the affected citizens and direct the necessary evacuation tasks.

cgv/lds

Related Articles

Back to top button