TOKYO, Aug 12 (NNN-NHK) – At least two people are feared dead, and several others remain missing, in south-western Japan, yesterday, as heavy rain continued to hit the region, sparking floods and landslides, local media reported.
In the town of Kosa, Kumamoto Prefecture, a man, who was evacuating with his family, went missing, after their car was swept away by a landslide, Kyodo News reported, citing local authorities and rescuers.
The mother and their two children were rescued, while local police said, they are confirming the identity of a man who was later found nearby with no vital signs, the report said.
In Yatsushiro City, also in Kumamoto, a woman with no vital signs was found inside a car, that had fallen into an irrigation canal, it added.
There were also reports of people being swept away by rivers and landslides, washing away houses and cars in Kumamoto and neighbouring Fukuoka prefectures.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), issued a heavy rain emergency warning for parts of Kumamoto Prefecture, but downgraded it to a heavy rain warning in the afternoon, while still calling for residents in the affected areas to stay vigilant.
In the six hours through early yesterday, Kumamoto Prefecture’s hardest-hit Tamana, logged 370 millimetres of rainfall, nearly doubling the city’s average precipitation for all of Aug, according to the JMA.– NNN-NHK
