Japanese PM visits flood zone amid new worries
KUMANO: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday visited floodstricken parts of Japan as the death toll from the worst weather disaster in 36 years reached 176 and health worries increased amid scorching heat and the threat of new floods.
Torrential rain unleashed floods and landslips in western Japan last week, bringing death and destruction in particular to neighbourhoods built decades ago near steep slopes.
At least 176 people were killed, the Government said, and dozens were missing in Japan’s worst weather disaster since 1982.
Abe observed damage from a helicopter over Okayama, one of the hardesthit areas, and visited a crowded evacuation centre.
Rescuers faced scorching sun as they combed through heaps of wood and caked mud in a grim search for bodies, helped by sniffer dogs. — Reuters