A Japanese Island Has Been Engulfed By Floods And Landslides After It Was Hit By The “Heaviest Rain Ever”
An official said it was “the heaviest rain ever experienced” in northern Kyushu.
After being lashed with the “heaviest rain ever,” the southern Japanese island of Kyushu has experienced catastrophic flooding and landslides that have left at least six people dead and three others missing.
Kyushu had already been experiencing rain for more than a week, but unusually high levels of rainfall pounded parts of the island starting the evening of Sunday July 9, causing widespread mudslides and rivers to overflow.
The water washed away homes, disrupted trains and cut off power and water for thousands of people in remote areas.
An official said it was “the heaviest rain ever experienced” in northern Kyushu.
An emergency alert was issued for the Fukoka and Oita prefectures on Monday July 11, with more than 1.7 million people told to take shelter, according to Al Jazerra.
A 77-year-old woman died in Fukuoka prefecture after she and her husband were trapped in their home, which was engulfed by mud.
Another three people died in the prefecture, including one person whose car was washed away by a flooded river, authorities said.
Meanwhile, 21 people were buried by a mudslide in the city of Kurume – which received its highest ever recorded rainfall, killing one man in his seventies.
The emergency alert has since been downgraded as the rains stopped on Tuesday.
However, officials have warned that more rain is expected, the BBC reported.
The government has set up a task force to respond to the disaster, and a government spokesperson told AFP say they fear the death toll could still rise as three people still remain missing on remote parts of the island.
Japan is currently in its annual rainy season, which has led to flooding and landslides in previous years.
However, scientists say climate change is intensifying the risk of heavier downpour and other extreme weather events.
