Flooding in Japan after record rains leaves 6 dead, 10 missing

Six people have died and 10 are missing after record rainfall caused floods and landslides in some parts of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan, UNN reports citing the BBC.

Details

The cities of Wajima and Suzu, which are still recovering from the deadly earthquake that devastated the area on January 1, were among the worst hit by the flooding that began on Saturday and continued until noon Monday local time.

On Sunday, both cities received twice as much precipitation as in September on average for the year, local media reported.

Dozens of rivers have burst their banks, blocking roads and isolating more than 100 communities across the prefecture, the reports added.

Two of the victims were found near a tunnel in Wajima that had been hit by a landslide. One of them was a construction worker who was repairing the road.

According to the Japan Times, citing local authorities, two elderly men and an elderly woman were among the dead.

On Saturday, Japan's Meteorological Agency declared the highest level of danger for Ishikawa, and on Sunday it lowered it to normal. However, the authorities called for vigilance, as the rains were expected to continue until at least noon on Monday.

Floodwaters have flooded temporary housing built for people who lost their homes in the earthquake on New Year's Day. Footage broadcast by NHK shows an entire street in Wajima under water.

According to the Hokuriku Electric Power Company, about 4,000 households were left without electricity on Monday.

More than 40,000 residents of four cities in Ishikawa, including Wajima, Suzu and Noto City, were evacuated over the weekend.

Another 16,000 residents of Niigata and Yamagata prefectures north of Ishikawa have also been ordered to evacuate, the AFP news agency reported.

Addendum

The region is still recovering from a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake in January that killed at least 236 people, destroyed homes and started a major fire.