“Torrential rain causes widespread devastation as floods and mudslides continue to impact central and southern Japan.”
Heavy rainfall across Japan on Sunday triggered devastating mudslides and floods, leading to the deaths of at least three people and the evacuation of thousands from their homes. In Okaya City, located in Nagano Prefecture, a mudslide struck early Sunday, burying a house with eight residents inside. Three individuals were found dead, while two others were injured, and three were rescued by emergency workers, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
The damage extended across the country, with mudslides in Nagasaki claiming one life and injuring another on Friday, while a separate mudslide in Hiroshima left one person seriously wounded. Additionally, two elderly women were confirmed dead after being found in a drainage canal.
By Sunday, dozens of residents in the flooded areas of southern Kyushu and Hiroshima had been rescued. The intense rainfall, which has drenched southwestern Japan for days, has caused more than a meter of rain to fall in northern Kyushu. The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that more rain is expected in the coming days as a weather front lingers over the archipelago.
With authorities still assessing the full extent of the damage, local officials have expressed concern over the growing scale of the disaster.
