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The number of people who died in floods and landslides caused by "historic" torrential rains in Japan rose to 109, with dozens of others missing . Monday, as tens of thousands of rescuers fought mud, water and rubble for survivors stranded in their homes.
At one point, about 5 million people were notified or advised to evacuate. Some of those who decided to stay at home found themselves trapped in water or landslides.
The most abundant rains in Japan in decades have caused the destruction of large parts of the country, including Hiroshima and the southwest According to some media, 60 people were still missing, while the Japanese public channel NHK brought the number of missing to 79.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe canceled a trip to Europe and the Middle East that was to begin Wednesday and expanded the search and rescue effort, which involves 73,000 members of the self-defense force, police, firefighters and coast guards. by hundreds of helicopters and paddle boats, rescuers continued to rescue people in the buildings, some of them being stranded on rooftops a few meters above the waterline.
Efforts to locate those who were still stuck turned into a "race against time".
In one of the most spectacular rescues, patients and staff members – some still in pajamas – were helped from the balcony of a Kurashiki hospital. Sunday and rowed to safety on military paddle boats. Officials said 170 patients and staff were evacuated from the hospital, while NHK said later about 80 people were still stranded.
"I'm really grateful to the rescuers," said Shigeyuki Asano, a 79-year-old patient who spent a night without electricity or water. "I feel so relieved to have been released from a dark and smelly place."
Televised footage from the affected region showed rivers that had broken out, submerged vehicles and homes destroyed by landslides. [19659003] The rains are the worst weather-related disaster in Japan since two typhoons struck in rapid succession in August and September 2011, killing nearly 100 people. The death toll is higher than in 2014, when more than 70 people died in landslides caused by torrential rains in Hiroshima.
Parts of southwestern Japan received up to 10cm of rain per hour, the highest in decades. the meteorological agency said. On Monday morning, the rain is calmed in the most affected areas, with high temperatures representing a new risk to the health of people without water and electricity.
"We can not take baths, toilets do not work and our food The stockpile is low," said Yumeko Matsui, whose home is without water since Saturday.
Kaori Ito, the mayor of Kurashiki, said that thousands of evacuees were in desperate need of clothes. "Nobody has anything to wear, we need shirts, pants, underwear, socks and even shoes," Ito told Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
More than 30,000 people were housed in emergency shelters Sunday afternoon.
The meteorological agency called the situation "extreme danger" and warned that other landslides would occur, even if the water receded.
Younger victims included two sisters who attended a primary school with only six students. populated island of Nuwa. "The disaster happened so suddenly, I'm struggling to get through it," said the school's director. In Hiroshima Prefecture, rescuers found the corpse of a three-year-old girl whose house had been hit by a landslide.
The disaster affected plant manufacturers in western Japan. Car manufacturers Mazda and Daihatsu said they suspended their operations in factories in three prefectures because they were unable to get parts.
News organizations contributed to this report
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