Two dead and 20 missing in Japan due to impressive landslide | In the midst of heavy rains

Two people are dead and around 20 are missing following a landslide who buried several houses in the center of Japan after days of heavy rain.

“Under the action of torrential rains, the ground gave way and the avalanche jumped. As he passed, he swept houses and residents “and cut off a national road, Shizuoka County Governor Heita Kawakatsu told reporters. In turn, he said the landslide occurred. around 10:30 am local time.

News footage showed a torrent of mud that washed away some houses and buried others in the coastal town of Atami, located southwest of Tokyo, where residents left their homes for safety reasons.

“I heard a terrible noise, and saw an avalanche of mud coming down, as some workers urged people to evacuate. I also ran to be safe at height. When I returned, houses and cars were missing, ”a witness told state broadcaster NHK.

Maximum alert level

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that emergency services and the military have already started rescue and evacuation operations, while warning that more torrential rains are expected. “We must maintain a maximum level of alert,” Suga insisted after an emergency meeting.

Atami has recorded 313mm of precipitation in the past 48 hours, a figure higher than the annual average of 242.5mm it usually registers for the whole of July, NHK reported. The city, located in rural Shizuoka, is located about 90 km from Tokyo and is known for its hot springs.

For its part, the electricity company Tepco indicated that some 2,800 homes remain without electricity.

Meanwhile, circulation of the Shinkansen, the Japanese high-speed train, has been temporarily suspended between Tokyo and Osaka, located in the west of the country, following heavy rains, as has the service of other trains, according to the report. the sites. . the website of the railway companies.

The landslide occurred in the middle of the rainy season in Japan, which often causes this type of flooding and landslide.

In 2018, more than 200 people died after massive flooding in western Japan. In 2020, flooding again killed dozens of people amid the coronavirus pandemic, making rescue efforts more difficult.

According to the scientific community, these phenomena are intensifying due to climate change, as the warm atmosphere holds more water, increasing the risk and intensity of extreme precipitation.