Covering geo-political news and current affairs across Asia. Damage from floods caused by torrential rain is seen in Kumamura, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, July 8, 2020. But this one doesn’t compare. Japan floods leave dozens dead, including nursing home residents ... Sun 5 Jul 2020 05.57 EDT First published on Sat 4 Jul 2020 07.42 EDT. July 8, 2020; For more than a week, Japan has been battered by floods driven by torrential rains, spurring widespread evacuations and the deaths of … The rains also lashed central Japan, with local official Ryoichi Miyamae saying that nearly 4,000 people were cut off, mainly trapped in the cities of Gero and the tourist magnet of Takayama by the overflowing Hida River. Flooding also cut off power and communication lines, further delaying the search and rescue. Nakamura choked up as she explained that one of her neighbors had fallen victim to the floods. Learn more about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. Japan is in the middle of its annual rainy season and often sees damaging floods and landslides during this period that lasts several weeks. Dementia linked to many instances of people dying at home among family but remaining undiscovered for days, Plans still on hold after revelations about finances of would-be groom’s mother two years ago, Officials say there have been no bear encounters since arrival of robots in wolves’ clothing, Town mayor, 73, whose name can be pronounced similarly to president-elect, was trending on social media, Available for everyone, funded by readers. Regional authorities have asked potential volunteers from outside Kumamoto not to travel to the region, for fear of spreading the virus. A damaged road is seen following heavy rain in Hita, Oita prefecture, southern Japan Wednesday, July 8, 2020. Japanese town deploys Monster Wolf robots to deter bears, Japan's 'Jo Baiden' becomes overnight internet sensation, Japan's 'love hotels' accused of anti-gay discrimination, 'Ursine terror': plea to improve habitat after spate of bear attacks in Japan, Japan scraps overly competitive mascot contest, Yoshihide Suga to be Japan's prime minister after winning party vote. 10th November 2020 23:54. Asia Times Financial is now live. First published on Sat 4 Jul 2020 12.42 BST. My house, it’s such a mess, I cannot live there anymore,” she said as she came across someone she knew at the shelter. Record rainfall triggers landslides in western Kumamoto region, stranding hundreds, Sun 5 Jul 2020 10.57 BST The rate of rainfall exceeded 100 millimeters (3.9 in) per hour. Filed under floods , japan , mudslide , natural disasters , 7/6/20 Share this article: Decision to Launch. Fourteen more were still missing as of Sunday afternoon. Japan recovers from floods after rainfall Some 8.63m people across 23 prefectures have been ordered to evacuate. Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued a Level 5 alert for floods and landslides, ... An aerial view of the floods in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto prefecture, southwestern Japan, 4 July 2020 Replay. Deep floodwaters and the risk of further mudslides have hampered search and rescue operations after heavy rain in southern Japan, including at elderly home facilities where more than a dozen residents died and scores were left stranded. She and her relatives ran upstairs, swam out of a window and eventually took refuge on the roof to wait for their rescue. Photos: Scenes of devastation from floods in Japan. Read ATF now. In many areas, landslides reduced houses to rubble and floodwater rushed into homes in low-lying areas, destroying the contents and rendering them uninhabitable. A broken bridge is pictured after floods caused by torrential rain, in Kumamura, Japan, on July 8, 2020. Linking accurate news, insightful analysis and local knowledge with the ATF China Bond 50 Index, the world's first benchmark cross sector Chinese Bond Indices. “That was the hardest thing.”. Dozens of other people were trapped in inundated areas waiting to be rescued, according to the fire and disaster management agency. Torrential rain storms that triggered flash floods and mudslides in Japan’s Kyushu region have left 60 people dead or missing. The rains also lashed central Japan, with local official Ryoichi Miyamae saying that nearly 4,000 people were cut off, mainly trapped in the cities of Gero and the tourist magnet of Takayama by the overflowing Hida River. Organizers plan to hold 2020 Olympics with spectators next summer Japan faces another coronavirus wave, but this one’s different Tokyo finds luring business from Hong Kong may be a tall order Skip To Navigation; ... Kumamoto prefecture, southwestern Japan, July 4, 2020. However, such orders are not compulsory and most residents are choosing not to go to shelters, possibly due to coronavirus fears. Photo taken July 4, 2020, shows an inundated street in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 4, 2020, after torrential rain in southwestern Japan. “In past disasters, by the fourth day, we would normally see relief efforts like people preparing meals. On 4 July 2020, heavy rain caused flooding in the southern Japanese island of Kyushu. This time, I am yet to see anything like that.”. “We have experienced flooding disasters in the past many times. # Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters Read more; A resident reacts in … 7 Jul 2017 The evacuation was not mandatory and many people opted to stay home because of concerns over catching coronavirus, even though officials say shelters are adequately equipped with partitions and other safety measures. 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Rather than being afraid, I was just focused on escaping,” she told public broadcaster NHK. National Oct 8, 2020 Mudslides smashed into houses, sending people up on to rooftops waiting to be rescued. Sixty-five residents and about 30 caregivers were trapped at the riverside care facility when floodwaters and mud gushed in. As a result of flooding and landslides, 49 people were confirmed dead.Fourteen of the victims were the residents of an old age home in Kuma, Kumamoto that was flooded.. Related pages. Japan will deploy more troops to search for survivors of devastating floods and landslides that have killed at least 52 people in the southwest of the country, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged. A collapsed road caused by heavy rain in Kuma, Kumamoto prefecture on July 7, 2020. “A special characteristic of this disaster I felt was not people hesitating to evacuate, but people hesitating to offer help,” one doctor said, according to NHK. Two other deaths have been confirmed on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu and more than a dozen people are missing or unaccounted for, authorities said. Floodwaters flowed down streets … Japan has deployed at least 80,000 rescue workers to save lives with the aid of another 10,000 troops. All rights reserved. As floods eased in parts of Kumamoto on Sunday, vending machines and cars lay scattered on mud-coated streets. The JMA issued its second-highest evacuation order to more than 450,000 people. Photo: AFP/Charly Triballeau. Thousands trapped by floods in Japan. Hundreds of thousands have also been evacuated to safer areas. July 10, 2020. More than 40,000 troops, the coastguard and fire brigades took part in the operation. Overall, 18 people were confirmed dead, while 16 others, including those at the nursing home, were presumed dead. Updated 3:08 AM ET, Tue July 7, 2020 . However, experts say climate change is intensifying the phenomenon because a warmer atmosphere holds more water to dump in the form of rain. Kim Kyung-hoon/Reuters. Concern in Japan over high number of ‘lonely deaths’ while living with others. Flooding and landslides caused by unprecedented rain in southern Japan … About 34 people are either confirmed or feared dead—including 14 at a nursing home—after torrential rain in Japan triggered massive floods and mudslides, authorities said Sunday. After five days blocked by floodwater and landslides, troops finally managed to rescue some 40 residents in the village of Ashikita in the Kumamoto region. Kinuyo Nakamura, 68, burst into tears of relief as she finally made it to an evacuation center. The need to maintain social distancing has reduced capacity at shelters and many have preferred to take refuge in their vehicles for fear of becoming infected. The sharp increase was largely attributable to a rise in climate-related disasters, including extreme weather events like floods, drought and storms, the report said. Record breaking heavy rain hit the prefectures of Kumamoto and Kagoshima in the southern Japanese island of KyÅ«shÅ« on 4 July 2020. At 5 AM, local time (UTC+9) the Japan Meteorological Agency raised its heavy rain warning to its highest level of 3 in many parts of the prefectures, the first time it has ever done so for these areas. Japan Self-Defense Force (SDF) carry out flood rescues in Kuma, Kumamoto, Japan, July 2020. Japan floods: Rescue workers find more bodies Four bodies found in southern Japan, taking death toll from heavy rain to six with about 20 more missing, official says. An official in Kumamoto said 55 people from the region were confirmed to have perished with four others feared dead. On 6 November, Japan Platform (JPF) has decided to launch an emergency response program to support the people affected by the floods and landslides caused by the sustaining heavy rains in Central Viet Nam. Japan is bracing for more heavy rain after a weekend of flooding left at least 37 people dead. Japanese emergency services and troops were scrambling on Thursday to reach thousands of homes cut off by devastating flooding and landslides that have killed dozens and caused widespread damage. The rain front started in the southwest in the early hours of Saturday and has since cut a swathe of destruction across Japan, dumping record amounts of rain and causing swollen rivers to break their banks. “The water rose to the second floor so fast and I just couldn’t stop shivering, a 55-year-old woman who was visiting her relatives told the Asahi newspaper. One emergency worker said the coronavirus might be dissuading people from volunteering to help with the rescue efforts. Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) said “heavy rain will likely continue at least until July 12 in a wide area” of the country, calling for “extreme vigilance” on landslide risks and flooding in low-lying areas. Complicating the rescue efforts has been the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed nearly 1,000 lives in Japan from more than 20,000 cases. “Gosh, it was scary. Emergency services in western Japan were "racing against time" Tuesday to rescue people stranded by devastating floods and landslides that have killed at … More than 200,000 residents in Kumamoto prefecture were urged to evacuate following heavy rain on Friday evening and into Saturday. An aerial view shows flooded Kuma River caused by heavy rain at a residential area in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto prefecture, southern Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo July 4, 2020. The floods are Japan’s worst natural disaster since Typhoon Hagibis killed about 90 people in October. © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. msn back to msn home news. JUST WATCHED Record-breaking rainfall triggers deadly floods in Japan. The Japan Meteorological Agency stated the amount of rain was record-breaking for the region and was never seen before. This aerial photo shows the flooded area caused by the swollen Chikugo River, not seen in photo, in Kurume city, Fukuoka prefecture, southern Japan Wednesday, July 8, 2020. Photo: Japan Self-Defense Force (SDF) The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a Level 5 alert (highest level) for floods and landslides for parts of Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures. (Kyodo) Yukinobu Katsueda, chief priest at a Buddhist temple in Kuma, said, "I heard an enormous sound of water gushing in the middle of the night. By Sunday afternoon the remaining 51 residents, including three who had hypothermia, had been rescued by boats and taken to hospitals for treatment, officials said. Prefectural officials said evacuation advisories were still in place as more rain was predicted. Japan has spent billions on an underground system to control water around the ... a concern that has become more urgent as the city prepares to host the 2020 Olympic Games. Landslides and floods have destroyed homes across southern Japan. Large areas along the Kuma River were swallowed by floodwaters, and many houses, buildings and vehicles were engulfed. Thousands are currently living in … Heavy rain in southern Japan has triggered flooding and mudslides, leaving more than a dozen people presumed dead, about 10 missing and dozens stranded on rooftops waiting to be rescued. Why has wedding of Japan's Princess Mako still not gone ahead? KUMA, JAPAN (AFP) – Japanese emergency services and troops scrambled yesterday to reach thousands of homes cut off by catastrophic flooding and landslides that have killed dozens and caused wide-spread damage. (AP: Koji Harada/Kyodo News)In neighbouring Gifu, hundreds were isolated in the hot spring towns of Gero and Ontake. Some people were cleaning their homes, taking out damaged furniture and rinsing off mud. In Hitoyoshi City, the deluge poured into houses near the main train station. 9 July 2020 (Press Release)Japan Platform (JPF; Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) - an emergency humanitarian aid organization established in equal partnership among the NGOs, the Japanese government, and the business community - decided to launch the emergency response to assist people affected by the floods in Kyushu and around the country. “A truly, truly, fantastic person,” she said, covering her face to hide the tears. Dozens of people were left dead or missing after record-breaking rainfall triggered deadly flash floods and landslides in southwestern and central Japan. At a flooded elderly care home in Kuma village, where 14 residents were presumed dead, rescue efforts continued for the dozens of remaining residents and caregivers. Helicopters and boats rescued more people from their homes in the Kumamoto region. This site, like many others, uses small files called cookies to help us improve and customize your experience. powered by Microsoft News. ... As floods eased in … Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Thursday more than 3,000 households were isolated, either by rising floodwater or roads destroyed by landslides, mostly in the hardest-hit southwestern region of Kumamoto where fresh downpours were forecast. Nearly 6,000 homes in Kumamoto were without electricity on Sunday, according to the Kyushu Electric Power Co. 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