A desperate wait for news after deadly Japan rains

KUMANO, Japan: In the devastated Japanese town of Kumano, Kosuke Kiyohara sat quietly, watching rescue workers push through the debris of battered homes and waiting for news of his missing sister and nephews.

“I have asked my family to prepare for the worst,” the 38-yearold said quietly, sitting across from a house that had been ripped apart and tossed on its side by a huge landslide.

“I haven’t been able to reach her phone since Friday night.”

Dozens of people remain missing across parts of central and western Japan ravaged by days of record rainfall that has caused flooding and landslides and killed at least 100 people.

Kiyohara’s 44-year- old sister and her two young sons were still missing beneath the wreckage of what was once a modern neighbourhood in Kumano, a town in Hiroshima known for brushmaking.

Her husband had already been rescued and taken to hospital, but there was no sign of the woman and their children.

Kiyohara, who looked exhausted, had trekked to the area from his nearby home in a neighbouring area that was relatively untouched by the disaster.

“I first came here on Saturday, and I immediately thought about the worst case scenario,” he said.

“I just have to wait,” he added, as his father milled around restlessly, watching rescue workers including police, firemen and troops.

“I wish she could have fled sooner.”

On Monday morning, days of rain finally eased, and the bright sunlight laid bare the destruction caused by the rains.

In Kumano, the downpours loosened earth on the surrounding hillsides, and sent multiple waves of mud crashing down onto the homes below.

The road to the affected area remained impassable, but handfuls of residents made it back, escorted by rescue workers or troops.

Some burst into tears, cradling their faces in their hands as they saw the remains of their district.

The sounds of diggers and chainsaws being used to break up fallen trees cut through the air, and a dog barked from inside a house.

Around 100 people were working to move downed power poles and break up larger pieces of debris, including entire homes that had been ripped up and tossed around.

Rescue workers said it was still possible that survivors could be found, but acknowledged the odds were getting longer.

“It has been three days... It’s possible that survivors will be found, but as the days pass the likelihood becomes slimmer,” a soldier at the scene told AFP.

“We are removing debris and destroyed houses because there is a possibility that remains might be trapped underneath them,” added the soldier, who declined to give his name.

“We have no idea how long it is going to take. We are also digging manually. If it rains again, another disaster could occur.”

Naoaki Ogawa, 69, was among the luckier residents returning Monday, his home still standing and apparently undamaged. — AFP