[ad_1]
HIROSHIMA, Japan – Rescuers stranded in mud-covered hills and near riverbanks to find dozens of people missing after days of heavy rains that caused floods and mudslides in the area. southwest of the country.
Officials and reports indicate that more than 80 people are still missing, many in the most affected region of Hiroshima. The fire and disaster management agency said that 122 people had been confirmed dead Tuesday morning.
Several days of heavy rains herald historic floods and landslides in vast areas of western Japan, including Hiroshima, Okayama and Ehime. prefectures. Many people started to return home and clean up after the rain on Monday.
The government has set up a task force to expedite the delivery of supplies and other services to evacuation centers and residents in the region. Minoru Katayama, 86, returned home to Mabi City, Okayama Prefecture on Monday, and found his 88-year-old wife, Chiyoko, dead. first floor. The floods grew so fast that they surprised the couple.
"My wife could not climb the stairs, and no one else was there to help us," Katayama told NHK. His wife was among more than 20 people who were found dead in the city, where a river embankment collapsed.
The evaluation of the victims was difficult because of the vast extent affected. Officials from Ehime Prefecture have asked the central government to review a weather warning system, noting that rain warnings have been issued after damage and losses have occurred. The Meteorological Agency of Japan reported that 10 centimeters (3 inches) of rain per hour fell over large parts of southwestern Japan.
Some houses were destroyed, while others were precariously sloped. The rivers overflowed, turning cities into lakes and leaving dozens of people stranded on the roofs. Thousands of homes were without drinking water and electricity in Hiroshima and other hard-hit areas, where many people were lining up for water tanks under the hot sun, with temperatures also rising. like 34 Celsius (93 Fahrenheit), which has raised concerns about people's health. Thousands evacuated their homes.
In a local elementary school in Yano district of Hiroshima, dozens of residents fled and some shared their stories of narrow escape from landslides and floods. Supplies such as water, blankets and mobile phone chargers were provided.
Ryutaro Hirakawa, 18, said he had fled his home after feeling a strange smell coming from the ground, sign of a landslide. "The smell of soil and grbad was so strong when I opened the window," he said. "There were landslides."
Another resident, 82-year-old Saburo Yokoyama, said that he was horrified when he saw floodwater running right in front of his house. "It was scary, just scary: in front of our house had become a river, and made a huge noise."
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe canceled his planned trip from July 11 to 18 in Europe and the Middle East overseeing the emergency response. Abe said earlier Monday that the government had sent 73,000 soldiers and emergency workers for search and rescue efforts.
___
Yamaguchi brought back from Tokyo.
___
Follow Haruka Nuga on Twitter at https: // twitter.com/HarukaNuga
Her work can be found at https://www.apnews.com/search/haruka%20nuga,19659017]
[ad_2]
Source link
