Rescue operations continue at the home in Karatsu where three people went missing. Credit: Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images
One person was killed and hundreds of thousands were forced to flee their homes in southwest Japan on Monday after “the heaviest rain on record” in the region.
Torrential downpours after a week of non-stop rain caused rivers to overflow their banks and soggy ground collapsed in deadly landslides, including one that killed a 77-year-old woman.
A woman's home was flooded at night in the Saga area , the local fire department told AFP. Her husband was rescued and taken to hospital.
Official officials said the second woman feared death after the latter was seen clinging to a car as flood waters rose in the neighboring Oita region.
At least nine more people have gone missing in landslides in the Fukuoka and Oita areas, where more than 420,000 people were under a high-level evacuation warning that said: “Your life is in danger, you need to take action immediately.”
Nearly two million more people in Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Saga, Yamaguchi and Oita have received a lower level warning telling them to evacuate if they are in dangerous areas.
People make their way through flood waters in Kurume Photo: KYODO
There are five levels of evacuation orders in Japan, but people cannot be forced to leave their at home.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said heavy rains could lead to floods and landslides in Fukuoka and Oita.
“This is the heaviest rain the region has ever experienced,” Satoshi Sugimoto of the JMA forecasting department told reporters.
“The situation is such that life is in danger and safety must be ensured,” he added.
National broadcaster NHK footage showed a wound on a hillside above a house in Karatsu City that had partially collapsed into a river, and many of its traditional roof tiles have been broken or slipped.
Images from elsewhere show rushing rivers washing over bridges that are usually well above the waterline, and floodwaters turning local streets into streams.
The Prime Minister's Office said a task force had been set up to coordinate the response to the rains. .
“We have received reports that several rivers have burst their banks… and that landslides have occurred in various parts of the country,” Hirokazu Matsuno, a senior government official, told reporters.
“The government is doing its best to get a full picture of the damage and is taking action in line with the 'life first' policy,” he added.
Hundreds of thousands of people were called to leave their homes after houses collapsed due to a landslide. Photo: KARATSU CITY/AFP via Getty Images
He warned that heavy rains are expected across much of the country on Tuesday. .
“If you feel that your life is in danger, however slight, do not hesitate to act,” he said.
In the city of Asakura in Fukuoka, officials said the rain had reached its peak, but fears of flooding still lingered.
“River levels are rising, so we are vigilant about the possibility of a spill,” said local official. Takaaki Harano told AFP.
Japan is now in its annual rainy season, which often brings heavy downpours and occasional floods and landslides, as well as loss of life.
Scientists say climate change is increasing the risk of heavy rainfall in Japan and other countries because a warmer atmosphere holds more water.
The weather agency said it has been raining for more than a week in the region.
< img src="/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/a89ce72592388bbeca6c4e8bacaa0a12.jpg" /> Japan is currently in its annual rainy season, which often brings heavy rainfall and occasional flooding. Photo: KYODO
“The area is very humid due to intermittent rains that have been falling for more than a week,” Yoshiyuki Toyoguchi, a spokesman for the rivers at the Ministry of Land Resources, told reporters.
“Even with a little rain, the level rivers tend to rise quickly, which increases the risk of flooding.”
Landslides are a particular hazard in Japan during heavy rains because houses are often built on the plains at the foot of hillsides in the mountainous country.
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In 2021, rain caused a devastating landslide in the central resort town of Atami, killing 27 people.
And in 2018, floods and landslides killed more than 200 people in western Japan during the rainy season.
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