Battering floods in southwest Japan kill 15; over 50 missing
Torrents of rainfall and flooding battered southwestern Japan today, leaving at least 15 people dead and more than 50 missing. As the death toll continued to climb, Okayama prefecture said a man caught in a landslide was pronounced dead. Kyodo news service reported another death in a landslide in Hiroshima, which set off a fire; a child was found dead in a flooded area.
Yamaguchi prefecture alerted people to heed evacuation warnings
Among the missing were five people who got buried when housing collapsed, also in Hiroshima prefecture. In Ehime prefecture, a woman was found dead on the second floor of a home hit by a landslide, according to Kyodo news service. Yamaguchi prefecture, another area hit by the heavy rain, alerted people to heed evacuation warnings and act quickly.
250 people flee homes; roads blocked, warnings issued
Kyoto prefecture said it was working to control flooding at several dams. Some 250 people had to flee their homes and the prefecture identified one fatality as a 52-year old woman. Roads were blocked in some areas and warnings issued on landslides. Military water trucks were rushing to areas where water systems were no longer working, Okayama prefecture said.
Rural areas of Japan hit hard by rain every year
Although Japan is among the most modernized of Asian nations, rural areas are hit hard by the rainy season each year, often resulting in casualties and heavy damage.
