At least four people died in eastern Japan after “unprecedented” heavy rain that left nearly 7,000 stranded at Tokyo’s Narita airport, and forced thousands to take refuge in government buildings. The torrential rains hit Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, on Thursday night, triggering landslide warnings and power outages. Evacuation orders were issued for more than 400,000 people in Chiba and other areas, and about 45,000 homes lost power, as 115mm of rain fell hourly, approximately the same amount usually recorded for the whole month of August.
It was the first time the Japan Meteorological Agency has issued the highest level 5 warning for heavy rains and landslides for the prefecture. The body of a man, believed to be in his 60s or 70s, was found floating in a flooded road in Ichikawa City, while a 66-year-old woman was killed when her car got trapped in flood waters in Sakura City. Two other people are reported to have died after being unable to escape from their cars during the flooding.
Soldiers have been dispatched to the area to help with relief efforts. Footage from public broadcaster NHK showed water spurting violently from what appeared to be a maintenance hole and exceeding the height of a nearby five-storey building in Chiba’s central ward. Rain had eased by Friday but authorities are warning of the dangers of flooding in the area.
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