At least 64 killed in Japan after 'unprecedented' rain, dozens missing
Japan’s government
set up an emergency management center at the prime minister’s office
and some 54,000 rescuers from the military, police and fire departments
were dispatched across a wide swath of southwestern and western Japan.
"There are still many people missing and others in need of help, we are working against time,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.
EVACUATION ORDERS
Emergency warnings for severe rain had been lifted by evening, but there were still advisories for heavy rain and landslides.
Evacuation orders stayed in place for nearly 2 million people and another 2.3 million were advised to evacuate, although rain had stopped and floodwaters receded in some areas.
Landslide warnings were issued in more than a quarter of Japan’s prefectures.
The rain began late last week as the remnants of a typhoon fed into a seasonal rainy front, with humid, warm air from the Pacific making it still more active - a pattern similar to one that set off flooding in southwestern Japan exactly a year ago that killed dozens. The front then remained in one place for an unusually long time, the JMA said.
Roads were closed and
train services suspended in parts of western Japan. Shinkansen bullet
train services resumed on a limited schedule after they were suspended
on Friday.
Automakers including Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) and
Daihatsu Motor Co suspended operations at several plants on Saturday due
to a shortage of parts or dangerous conditions. They were to decide
later on Sunday on plans for the coming week.
Electronics maker
Panasonic Corp (6752.T) said one plant in Okayama, western Japan, could
not be reached due to road closures, although it had been closed for the
weekend anyway. A decision about next week would be made on Monday, it
said.
While the Japanese government monitors weather conditions
closely and issues warnings from an early stage, the fact that much of
the country outside major cities is mountainous and building takes place
on virtually every bit of usable land leaves it vulnerable to
disasters.
At least 64 killed in Japan after 'unprecedented' rain, dozens missing
Kurashiki, with a population of just under 500,000, has been hit hardest by the torrential rains that pounded some parts of western Japan, causing the highest death toll since 2014. Scores of patients, some still in their pajamas, and nurses were