Rain pounds central Japan, 61 feared dead

AFP, 08TH JULY, 2020 - Torrential rain pounded central Japan Wednesday as authorities said 61 people were feared dead in days of heavy downpours that have triggered devastating landslides and terrifying floods.

Rains that began early Saturday on the island of Kyushu have already inflicted widespread damage across a swathe of the southwestern portion of the country, causing rivers to burst their banks and hillsides to collapse.

As the weather front moved north, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned of heavy rain in central Gifu and Nagano prefectures, but downgraded its advisories from their top level. Evacuation orders were lifted for hundreds of thousands of people.

Nevertheless, a JMA official warned of “an unprecedented level” of rain for parts of central Japan.

“Especially in areas designated as high risk for landslides and flooding, the possibility is extremely high that some kind of disaster is already happening,” he added.

At least 80,000 rescue workers have already been deployed to reach survivors stranded by flooding and landslides, with another 10,000 troops set to join them.

The toll in the disaster has risen steadily as the rescue operation continues.

An official of the hardest-hit Kumamoto region told AFP that there had been 55 deaths and “four people are in cardio-respiratory arrest” -- the term used before confirming death.

There were also two deaths in Omuta city, also in Kyushu.