Abe visits flood-hit regions in south
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday visited southern regions devastated by torrential rains and flooding that killed more than two dozen people, with the toll likely to rise.
Heavy seasonal rains last week caused severe flooding that tore up roads and destroyed houses on Japan’s southernmost island of Kyushu, with hundreds of thousands of people forced to flee their homes.
At least 25 people have been confirmed dead while 23 were still missing yesterday. A week after the disaster began, hundreds of people were still staying in school gymnasiums and public buildings used as makeshift shelters.
More than 11,000 rescuers, including soldiers, battled through thick mud with little hope of finding survivors.
Public broadcaster NHK showed footage of rescuers shovelling mud and removing washed up driftwood from what seemed to be roads and farm fields.
Mr Abe, whose support has plunged to its lowest since he took office in 2012, cut short a European tour by a day because of the disaster and went to visit the region less than 24 hours after returning.
The prime minister cancelled a visit to Estonia that was originally planned as the last leg of the European tour, flew to the region to view the damage and console residents.
He was shown on television walking along a river bank near a broken bridge and visiting a shelter in Oita prefecture.
Clad in blue work clothing, Mr Abe told evacuees in a shelter that the government was working to restore the region.
Mr Abe later met with Oita prefecture governor Katsusada Hirose, Kyodo News reported.
“I was once again reminded of the severe level of damage after seeing with my own eyes the sites hit by torrential rain and mudslides,” Mr Abe told Mr Hirose, pledging that the central government will work “to improve conditions at evacuation centres and secure housing”.
“I was able to talk with people in evacuation centres and hear their worries and troubles,” said Mr Abe. “The government will make every effort to rebuild so that people can resume their former lives without worries.”
Mr Abe knelt down to talk to survivors sitting on the floor of the evacuation centre and he also inspected the site of a destroyed railway bridge.
One woman told media Mr Abe had shaken her hand and commiserated with her. “We want him to work hard for Japan,” she said.