Cleaning up: People removing mud to dislodge a car following flooding in Wajima city, Ishikawa prefecture. Heavy rain lashed central Japan with floods and landslides leaving one dead and at least six missing in an area already devastated by a major earthquake this year. — AFP
Rescue workers searched for at least six people missing after heavy rain pounded the country’s northcentral region of Noto, triggering landslides and floods and leaving one person dead in a region still recovering from a deadly Jan 1 earthquake.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) on Saturday issued the highest alert level for heavy rain across several cities in the Ishikawa prefecture, including hard-hit cities Suzu and Wajima on the northern coast of the Noto peninsula.
The agency has since downgraded the heavy rain alert and kept landslide and flooding warnings in place.
In Suzu, one person died and another was missing after being swept in floodwaters. Another went missing in the nearby town of Noto, according to the prefecture.
In Wajima, rescue workers were searching for four people missing, following a landslide at a construction site. They were among 60 construction workers repairing a tunnel damaged by January’s quake.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said another person was missing due to floods at a different location in the city.
NHK footage at a coastal area of Wajima showed a wooden house torn and tilted after it was apparently hit by a landslide.
No injuries were reported from the site.
In Noto town, two people were seriously injured by a landslide while visiting their quake- damaged home.
At least 16 rivers in Ishikawa breached their banks as of Saturday afternoon, according to the Land and Infrastructure Ministry. Residents were urged to use maximum caution against possible mudslides and building damage.
By late Saturday afternoon, about 1,350 residents were taking shelter at designated community centres, school gymnasiums and other town facilities, authorities said.
About 50cm of rain has fallen in the region over the last three days due to the rainbands that cause torrential rain above the Hokuriku region, JMA said.
“Heavy rain is hitting the region that had been badly damaged by the Noto earthquake, and I believe many people are feeling very uneasy,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.
Hayashi said the government “puts people’s lives first” and its priority was search and rescue operations.
He also called on the residents to pay close attention to the latest weather and evacuation advisories and take precautions early, adding that the Self Defence Force troops have been dispatched to Ishikawa to join rescue efforts.
A resident in Wajima told NHK that he had just finished cleaning his house from the quake damage and it was depressing to now see it flooded by muddy water.
A number of roads flooded by muddy water were also blocked.
Hokuriku Electric Power Co said more than 5,000 homes were still without power yesterday.
Traffic lights were out in the affected areas and many homes were also without water supply. — AP
