Heavy rain in southern Japan leaves up to six dead, three missing


  • World
  • Tuesday, 11 Jul 2023

Photo taken from a helicopter shows the site of a mudslide following heavy rain in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, Japan July 10, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - Torrential rain over Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu triggered floods and landslides that left up to six people dead and rescuers searching for three missing, officials said on Tuesday.

The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded the special warnings for heavy rains, issued on Monday for northern parts of the island, to lower-level warnings and advisories, but urged residents to stay alert for further landslides.

Japan is the latest country to be hit by unusually heavy rain in various parts of the world in recent days that has raised new fears of the pace of climate change.

"Municipalities are still making checks on casualties, ... but we were informed of three deaths, another three deaths potentially related to the disaster, three missing and two lightly injured," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a regular news conference.

The rain forced tire maker Bridgestone to suspend operations at four factories on Kyushu on Monday, but the plants resumed operation by Tuesday morning, a company spokesperson said.

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In World

Serbian protesters clash with police over train station disaster
Hoax bomb threats linked to Russia target polling places in multiple states, FBI says
Man arrested at US Capitol with torch, flare gun, Capitol police say
Roundup: T�rkiye expects record e-commerce sales from upcoming shopping spree
Chinese training program helps Tanzania's Zanzibar improve pediatric treatment
Cholera cases in Sudan rise to 30,880, dengue fever to 6,011: health ministry
Over 300 Ghanaian students awarded Chinese Ambassador Scholarships
UAE targets 600 bln USD in foreign investment by 2031 under new strategy
(CIIE) Economic Watch: China shines on opening up, as world openness level degrades
China-Africa-UNIDO Center of Excellence opens in Ethiopia to advance Africa's development

Others Also Read