[ad_1]
Rescuers combed mud-covered hills and riverbanks Tuesday to find dozens of people missing after days of heavy rains that caused flooding and mudslides in southwestern Japan . say that more than 80 people are still missing, most in the most affected area 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 going home and cleaning their homes after the rain on Monday.
The government 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 wife, Chiyoko, 88 years old. dead on the 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 large area 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 said that up to 3 inches of rain per hour fell on large parts of southwestern Japan.
Some houses were destroyed, while others were precariously inclined. 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 93 degrees Fahrenheit, which has raised concerns about people's health. Thousands of people evacuated their homes.
In a local elementary school in Yano District, Hiroshima, dozens of residents fled and some shared their story of narrow escape from landslides and floods. Supplies such as water, blankets and mobile phone chargers were provided.
Ryutaro Hirakawa, 18, said he 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 he was horrified when he saw floodwaters flowing just outside his house. "It was scary, just scary: in front of our house had become a river, and was making a huge noise," he said.
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 Monday that the government has sent 73,000 soldiers and emergency personnel for search and rescue operations.
Yamaguchi made a report from Tokyo.
Source link
