Heavy rain floods 21 dead and keeps Japan on alert | World

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) maintains a maximum alert in the provinces of Kyoto, Hyogo, Okayama and Gifu on Saturday (7).

The western region of the country is where 21 victims were recorded, between 40 and 90 years old, according to the latest police figures and firefighters released by the public broadcaster NHK.

Most of the dead were washed away by flood waters, but some, like a nonagenarian woman from Kinnoyama town in Hiroshima, died after her house collapsed due to a landslide .

In addition to the dead, 47 people are missing, mainly in the provinces of Okayama, Hiroshima and Ehime, where the rescuers have extended their search.

About 650 members of the Self-Defense Forces are involved in relief operations and another 21,000 are ready to be displaced, said Defense Minister Hisunori Onodera.

NHK broadcasts live images of flooded localities with overflowing rivers, houses on partially buried mountain slopes and fallen bridges.

In addition to Kyoto, Hyogo, Okayama and Gifu, under emergency conditions, 28 of Japan 's 47 provinces are in a state of alert and the authorities have ordered the evacuation of about 4 millions of people.

The Japanese Meteorological Agency warned that "there is a risk of landslide accidents even if the rain stops" and asked that surveillance be maintained in areas mountainous or near the river.