Floods in Japan leave one dead and seven missing – Observer

One person died on Saturday and at least seven others are missing in Japan, where tens of thousands of residents were evacuated from their homes in central Japan due to flooding caused by heavy rains.

In Ishikawa, one person died, Two others were seriously injured and three remained missing, the regional government said in a statement.

Four other people working on road repairs in Wajima, where several buildings were flooded and roads blocked by landslides, are also missing, a ministry official told AFP news agency.

Some 44,700 residents of the cities of Wajima, Suzu and Noto in Ishikawa Prefecture have been forced to leave the area, according to information from local authorities.

Another 16,700 residents in Niigata and Yamagata prefectures north of Ishikawa were also advised to evacuate, according to the fire and disaster management agency.

Flooding has been confirmed in around ten rivers in the regionsaid Masaru Kojima of the Ministry of Land.

According to the Ishikawa government, many buildings were flooded and landslides blocked some roads.

Around 6,000 homes are without electricity.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has placed Ishikawa Prefecture on high alert, warning of “deadly” dangers.

Satoshi Sugimoto, a meteorologist at the agency, reported “torrential rains of unprecedented magnitude,” with more than 120 millimeters of precipitation per hour recorded in Wajima on Saturday morning.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged the government “to do its best (…) with the first priority being to save people’s lives,” government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.

Members of the Self-Defense Forces were dispatched to the Ishikawa area along with rescue teams.

In the images broadcast by the public channel NHK, a street in Wajima can be seen submerged.

The region is still recovering from this catastrophe that destroyed buildings, destroyed roads and caused a huge fire.

Precipitation levels in Japan have reached record levels in recent years in several parts of the country, with sometimes deadly floods and landslides.

Experts believe that climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity and unpredictability of these phenomena.