Torrential rain storms that triggered flash floods and mudslides in Japan’s Kyushu region have left 60 people dead or missing.
Hundreds of thousands have also been evacuated to safer areas.
Flooding and landslides caused by unprecedented rain in southern Japan have left at least 60 people dead. Picture via Youtube video
Mother Nature’s wrath continues to sweep Japan.
Torrential rain in the country’s Kyushu region, southwestern Japan, has triggered floods and mudslides.
Authorities say at least 49 people have been confirmed dead, while eleven others are unaccounted for.
Unprecedented Rain
Japan’s Meteorological Agency said such rainfall had never been seen before in the region. As much as 4 inches an hour fell at one time.
The heavy rainfall on Friday and Saturday in Kumamoto totaled nearly 20 inches in Minamata and nearly 16 inches in Kuma, Yunomae and Amakusa, according to the Meteorological Agency.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by continued downpours, with up to 300 millimeters of rain in the forecast through Tuesday.
Evacuations
Meteorological authorities in Japan have also issued special heavy rain warnings to three prefectures Nagasaki, Saga, and Fukuoka and the authorities have also issued evacuation orders to 330,000 citizens.
Such orders have also been issued to 205,000 people in Kumamoto Prefecture, and to approximately 35,000 in Miyazaki and Kagoshima Prefecture, totaling 550,000 people across Japan.
Rescue
With many waiting to be rescued, the Japanese government has also dispatched around 10,000 Ground Self-Defense Force personnel to the hardest-hit areas.
More than 2,000 households have been left stranded, many of which are home to elderly people.
Helicopters and boats have been rescuing people from their homes where they can.
The flooding has also cut off power and communication lines, further delaying search and rescue efforts.
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