More than a million people were urged to seek shelter as torrential rain triggered floods and landslides in western Japan on Saturday, leaving at least one dead and two missing, according to Japanese media- Kyodo News.
Landslides and flood damage are feared in a wide area stretching from western Japan to the northeastern part of the country with a seasonal front expected to hover near the main island of Honshu for a week, according to Japan Meteorological Agency.
Local authorities issued the highest level of alert to about 1.42 million people of some 650,000 households in the three prefectures of Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki in northern Kyushu as well as the western prefecture of Hiroshima, calling on them to take steps to ensure their safety, Kyodo media reported citing the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Weather officials are calling on residents to be ready for possible disasters including landslides and flooding. They say people should do whatever is necessary to protect themselves.
Kyodo News reports: In the 24-hour period through Sunday morning, up to 300 millimeters of rainfall is forecast in the central Japan region of Tokai, and up to 250 mm across wider areas including Shikoku and Kinki in western Japan, the Kanto-Koshin region centered on Tokyo, and Kyushu.
Additionally, up to 200 mm is expected in the Chugoku region in western Japan.
Meanwhile, the city government of Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture, identified a person found in a rain-triggered mudslide Friday as Fumiyo Mori, 59.
The two others missing were identified as her husband Yasuhiro, 67, and their daughter Yuko, 32.
More than 150 troops, police, and firefighters were dispatched to the site for rescue operations, AFP reports.
(With inputs from Agencies)
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
