One person has died, and seven others are missing after “unprecedented” rains triggered floods and landslides in the coastal, earthquake-affected Ishikawa region of northern Japan, officials said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its highest “life-threatening” alert for Ishikawa on Saturday, warning of torrential rains expected to continue until midday on Sunday.
More than 40,000 people across four cities were ordered to evacuate as at least a dozen rivers in the area overflowed. According to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, two of the missing individuals were swept away by powerful river currents.
Meanwhile, four workers involved in road repairs following a deadly New Year’s Day earthquake remain unaccounted for.
Wajima, one of the hardest-hit areas, recorded more than 120 mm (4.7 in) of rainfall on Saturday morning, marking the heaviest downpour since records began, NHK reported.
“This level of downpours has never been experienced in this region before. Residents must secure their safety immediately. The risk to their lives is imminent,” JMA forecaster Sugimoto Satoshi warned. NHK footage showed entire streets in Wajima submerged under water.
Heavy Rain in Japan (Photo: Kyodo)
Koji Yamamoto, a government official, told AFP that 60 workers had been repairing a road damaged by the New Year’s earthquake when a landslide occurred.
“I asked [contractors] to check the safety of workers… but we are still unable to contact four people,” Yamamoto said. He added that rescue teams trying to access the site were blocked by additional landslides.
Two other people have been seriously injured, government officials confirmed. Approximately 6,000 households were left without electricity, and an unknown number of homes are without running water, AFP reported.
Evacuation orders have been issued for around 44,000 residents in the cities of Wajima, Suzu, and the town of Noto in Ishikawa prefecture on Honshu Island. An additional 16,000 residents in Niigata and Yamagata prefectures, north of Ishikawa, were also instructed to evacuate.
The Noto peninsula’s Wajima and Suzu areas were among the hardest hit by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake on New Year’s Day, which claimed the lives of at least 236 people. The region is still grappling with the aftermath of that disaster, which toppled buildings, tore apart roads, and ignited a major fire.
In recent years, Japan has experienced unprecedented rainfall in some regions, with floods and landslides occasionally leading to fatalities.
