At least 81 killed in Japan floods

AT least 81 people have died in Japan after record rainfall left rescue workers and troops struggling through deep water and thick mud.

Dozens more remain missing and the number of fatalities is expected to rise.

Yesterday prime minister Shinzo Abe warned of a ‘race against time’ to rescue flood victims.

The torrential downpours have caused flash flooding and landslides across central and western parts of the country, prompting evacuation orders for more than two million people. The rain has completely blanketed some villages, forcing desperate residents to take to their rooftops with flood water swirling below as they wait for rescue.

In the town of Motoyama, on Shikoku island, 23in of rain fell between Friday morning and Saturday morning.

Nobue Kakumoto, 82, of Mihara, in the Hiroshima region, said: ‘The area became an ocean. I’m worried because I have no idea how long it will stay like this.’